Field emission property of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with different carbon sources in a fluidized bed reactor

Abstract

The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) synthesized at various reaction conditions (reaction temperature, gas environment, and the ratio of mixture gas) using catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) in a fluidized bed reactor have quite different properties according to their tube diameter and crystallinity. Macroscopic field emission properties of the CNT film have been determined by a vacuum field emission system that displays the integrated field emission using a phosphor ITO-glass screen. Field emission properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) depend on their electrical conductivity and structural quality such as the tube diameter and crystallinity (I-D/I-G). The smaller the mean diameter and the higher the crystallinity of the CNTs. the better the field emission properties could be achieved. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.