Fabrication of highly stable carbon nanotube electron beams(C-beam)

We optimized the triode structure for carbon nanotube electron beam(C-beam) application with carbon nanotube emitters grown with resist-assisted pattering process. The CNT emitters grown through the RAP process have a structure in which a number of CNTs are congregated, and the graphitization post-treatment process proceeded in order to enhance their adhesive strength and stability. The gate mesh was self-aligned with the carbon nanotube island for lower leakage current, resulting higher electron emission current and transmission ratio. With the optimized triode structure, the emission current show high performance with less than 1 cm² area and C-beams operated more than 500 hours with constant current mode and DC driving.