A flexible carbon nanotube field emitter fabricated on a polymer substrate by a laser separation method

The fabrication of a sparsely networked carbon nanotube (CNT) thin film on a polycarbonate substrate as the conductor electrode and the emitting cathode by a newly proposed laser separation method is reported. Based on this approach, numerous surface protruding tube tips can be structured straightforwardly, which results in favorable field-emission characteristics. A flexible field emitter with a low turn-on voltage of 1.0 V/μm can be obtained. This method also demonstrates the abilities for fabricating a film with precision patterns and varying CNT concentrations as well as the flexibility of direct film formation on a curved surface. Moreover, all fabrication steps are executed in the ambient environment and at room temperature.