A fully sealed field-emission display 4.5 in. in size has been fabricated using single-wall carbon nanotube (CNT)-organic binders. The fabricated displays were fully scalable at low temperature, below 415 °C, and CNTs were vertically aligned using paste squeeze and surface rubbing techniques. The turn-on fields of 1 V/μm and field emission current of 1.5 mA at 3 V/μm (J=90 μA/cm2) were observed. Brightness of 1800 cd/m2 at 3.7 V/μm was observed on the entire area of a 4.5 in. panel from the green phosphor-indium–tin–oxide glass. The fluctuation of the current was found to be about 7% over a 4.5 in. cathode area.

Fully sealed, high-brightness carbon-nanotube field-emission display

▪ Abstract This account reviews the discovery, synthesis, properties, and the latest research advances of carbon nanotubes developed over the past 12 years. Because of their remarkable electronic and mechanical properties, carbon nanotubes are unique and exciting. The field has been developed rapidly, and the number of publications per year is increasing almost exponentially. Various technological applications are likely to arise using nanotubes for fabrication of flat panel displays, gas storage devices, toxic gas sensors, Li+ batteries, robust and lightweight composites, conducting paints, electronic nanodevices, etc. Further experimental and theoretical research is still necessary so that novel technologies will become a reality in the early twenty-first century.

Science and Technology of the Twenty-First Century: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes, a novel form of carbon discovered in 1991, have been rapidly recognized as one of the most promising electron field emitters ever since the first emission experiments reported in 1995. Their potential as emitters in various devices has been amply demonstrated during the last five years, and recent developments of production techniques are likely to trigger future applications. This report reviews the state of the art of the current research on the electron field emission properties of carbon nanotubes and surveys their ability to provide single or multiple electron sources.

Field emission from carbon nanotubes: the first five years

Our society requires new materials for a sustainable future, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are among the most important advanced materials. This Review describes the state-of-the-art of CNT synthesis, with a focus on their mass-production in industry. At the nanoscale, the production of CNTs involves the self-assembly of carbon atoms into a one-dimensional tubular structure. We describe how this synthesis can be achieved on the macroscopic scale in processes akin to the continuous tonne-scale mass production of chemical products in the modern chemical industry. Our overview includes discussions on processing methods for high-purity CNTs, and the handling of heat and mass transfer problems. Manufacturing strategies for agglomerated and aligned single-/multiwalled CNTs are used as examples of the engineering science of CNT production, which includes an understanding of their growth mechanism, agglomeration mechanism, reactor design, and process intensification. We aim to provide guidelines for the production and commercialization of CNTs. Although CNTs can now be produced on the tonne scale, knowledge of the growth mechanism at the atomic scale, the relationship between CNT structure and application, and scale-up of the production of CNTs with specific chirality are still inadequate. A multidisciplinary approach is a prerequisite for the sustainable development of the CNT industry.

Carbon Nanotube Mass Production: Principles and Processes

Carbon nanotube films as electron field emitters

http://nanotube.korea.ac.kr/wp-content/papers/1999/CPL312(1999)461.pdf

Synthesis of aligned carbon nanotubes using thermal chemical vapor deposition

We have synthesized carbon nanotubes by thermal chemical vapor deposition of C2H2 on transition metal-coated silicon substrates. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes are uniformly synthesized on a large area of the plain Si substrates, different from previously reported porous Si substrates. It is observed that surface modification of transition metals deposited on substrates by either etching with dipping in a HF solution and/or NH3 pretreatment is a crucial step for the nanotube growth prior to the reaction of C2H2 gas. We will demonstrate that the diameters of carbon nanotubes can be controlled by applying the different transition metals.

Synthesis of uniformly distributed carbon nanotubes on a large area of Si substrates by thermal chemical vapor deposition

http://nanotube.korea.ac.kr/wp-content/papers/2001/SM117(2001)81.pdf

Growth mechanism of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on silicon substrates

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-based field emission displays (FEDs) have been fabricated using well-aligned nanotubes on substrates in situ grown by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and paste squeeze and surface rubbing techniques. Although the former seems to be an ultimate approach for CNT-based FED, a large area synthesis and uniform field emission over the entire area is not yet easily accessible. On the other hand, the latter is fully scalable on glass substrates and shows very high luminance of 1800 cd/m2 at 4 V/μm. The degradation of emission currents for single-wall carbon nanotubes was less than 10% in electrical aging tests. Large field-enhancement factors (23,000–46,000) and low turn-on voltages (1.5-3 V/μm) were attributed to well-aligned carbon nanotubes on substrates and a large number density of carbon nanotubes of 5-10 μm-2, which was confirmed by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy.

Dae Woon Kim

Papers

Synthesis of aligned carbon nanotubes using thermal chemical vapor deposition

Synthesis of uniformly distributed carbon nanotubes on a large area of Si substrates by thermal chemical vapor deposition

Growth mechanism of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on silicon substrates

Fabrication of electron field emitters using carbon nanotubes