Atomically resolved field emission patterns of single-walled carbon nanotubes

The electron emission and structural properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were investigated by using field emission microscopy (FEM). The transmission electron microscopy micrograph confirmed the existence of an SWCNT bundle on the W tip. Under appropriate experimental conditions, an FEM image with an elliptic ring-like structure composed of separated bright dots was obtained, a reasonable interpretation of it is that it was produced from the open end for a zigzag (16,0) SWCNT protruding from the SWCNT bundle, each bright dot corresponding to a single atom at the open end. And, if true, this means that the FEM demonstrated 0.2 nm resolution, which was theoretically possible for the assumed geometry. The calculated value of the magnification of the pattern was also consistent with the measured value if the value of the compression factor β was set at 1.76.