IUVSTA 15th International Vacuum Congress (IVC-15), AVS 48th International Symposium (AVS-48), 11th International Conference on Solid Surfaces (ICSS-11)
    Nanotubes: Science and Applications Topical Conference Friday Sessions
       Session NT+EL+NS-FrM

Paper NT+EL+NS-FrM10
Advances in Conception of Flat Panel Displays Based on Carbon Nanotube Field Emitters

Friday, November 2, 2001, 11:20 am, Room 133

Session: Nanotubes: Field Emission
Presenter: I. Arfaoui, EPFL, Switzerland
Authors: I. Arfaoui, EPFL, Switzerland
J.-M. Bonard, EPFL, Switzerland
D. Sarangi, EPFL, Switzerland
J. Dijon, CEA, France
A. Chatelain, EPFL, Switzerland
Correspondent: Click to Email
Because of their unusual sharpness and conducting properties, Carbon NanoTubes (CNT) are an ideal candidate material for field emitting tips. In order to develop a technology allowing the fabrication of low cost large area Field Emission Displays (15 - 40), we therefore used CNT as field emissive materials. For that, it is important to have an optimised deposition method of well-aligned and well-distributed carbon nanotubes on large area substrate at low or moderate temperature. Our work deals with the growth and FE properties of CNT films on Si substrates. These patterned emitting films are made by Chemical Vapour Deposition: the CNT grow preferentially on Si substrates where a metallic catalyst (i.e. Ni, Co, Fe...) is deposited by sputtering followed by standard lithography, by microcontact printing or ink jet printing. We have optimised growth parameters (catalyst, temperature, ...) in order to obtain the lowest threshold emission fields and the highest emitting site density. However, we have shown that emitting site density is the most important parameter for Flat Panel Displays. Two particular points are discussed: structural and FE properties of diode and triode structures and a model of the emission process. In order to improve the cost issue as well as the reliability of FED, we have studied innovative triode structures. Finally, a microscopic model of the emission process is used to predict emission life and spatial uniformity of CNT films.