AVS 49th International Symposium
    Nanotubes: Science and Applications Topical Conference Tuesday Sessions
       Session NT-TuP

Paper NT-TuP6
Field Emission Properties of Nanostructures Based on Molybdenum Ternary Compounds versus Carbon Single Wall Nanotubes

Tuesday, November 5, 2002, 5:30 pm, Room Exhibit Hall B2

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: M. Zumer, Institute of Surface Engineering and Optoelectronics (ITPO), Slovenia
Authors: M. Zumer, Institute of Surface Engineering and Optoelectronics (ITPO), Slovenia
V. Nemanic, Institute of Surface Engineering and Optoelectronics (ITPO), Slovenia
B. Zajec, Institute of Surface Engineering and Optoelectronics (ITPO), Slovenia
M. Remskar, Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia
A. Mrzel, Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia
D. Mihailovic, Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia
Correspondent: Click to Email
As the single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) were recognized as stable emitters for various electron devices, the performance of any new material is well introduced when tested in comparison to them. From several reports on field emission (FE) measurements, it is difficult to eliminate all the experimental parameters that may influence the results. On a short term time scale, the characterization may be presented by the Fowler - Nordheim plot, while the long term behavior can only be presented by real measuring results. We have investigated the FE properties of quasi one-dimensional molybdenum ternary compounds. They were synthesized by a catalytic transport reaction and characterized by conventional microscopic methods. The results of FE measurements were compared to those obtained on commercially available purified SWCNT at identical experimental conditions. All FE measurements were performed in an UHV system at 10@super-9@ mbar base pressure. The samples were mounted on the top of metal pins positioned some mm from the aluminized luminescent screen biased as the anode. Current - voltage (I-V) measurements were performed under continuous bias conditions up to 4.5 kV where the resulting macroscopic field reached approx. 0.9 V µm@super-1@. The emission current from a few sites reached a value of some ten micro amps in both cases. The current variation with time was related to onset and disappearance of emission spots of various shapes. The average current initially dropped, but became relatively stable even on the time scale of a few hundred hours for both FE materials studied.