Mechanical fabrication of carbon nanotube films and their field-emission properties

Summary form only given. We present a simple technology for the fabrication of CNTs films cathode by utilizing method of rubbing CNT powders onto the polished substrates. The metallic substrates were polished by 10000 mesh white fused alumina powder at first. Then, the CNTs were rubbed on them. After that process, the metallic substrates were covered by CNTs films uniformly and firmly, as characterized by scanning electron microscope and scotch tape peeling tests. The field-electron-emission properties of such films cathodes were investigate under the vacuum of 10^-5 Pa. The experimental results showed that the field-emission image of the films was nearly uniform and the emission current was considerably large. The turn-on field (the field at an emission current density of 10μA/cm ) was 3.4V/μm. The emission current density of 1.31mA/cm was obtained at the electric field of 6.1 V/μm, and emission current was almost stable in more than 60 minutes under about ImA/cm .