Web Release Date: November 16,
Vacuum-Breakdown-Induced Needle-Shaped Ends of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Yarns and Their Field Emission Applications
Tsinghua-Foxconn Nanotechnology Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
Received September 9, 2007
Revised October 15, 2007
Abstract:
The Joule-heating-induced vacuum breakdown of the carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns was studied. Wall-by-wall breakdown and superplastic
deformation of CNTs are the main physical processes at the hottest location before breakdown. The two ends at the breaking point are
needle-shaped with surfaces rich in tightly compacted conelike CNT bundles with a single CNT at the tips. Both of the ends can provide
emission currents of over 150 
A within an area 5 m in diameter; the cathode ends start field emission at a lower voltage. Laser irradiation
was introduced to control the breaking location making the methodology more practical. Small pixels were constructed with the yarn emitter
cathodes, which are potentially building blocks of large outdoor displays.
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