Multi-Mode Phonon-Controlled Field Emission from Carbon Nanotubes: Modeling and Experiments

Sinha, N., Mahapatra, D.R., Yeow, J.T.W. and Melnik, R.V.N.

Proc. of the 2007 7th IEEE International Conference on Nanotechnology, Hong Kong, August 02-05, pp. 194--197, 2007

Abstract:

The main idea proposed in this paper is that in a vertically aligned array of short carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grown on a metal substrate, we consider a frequency dependent electric field, so that the mode-specific propagation of phonons, in correspondence with the strained band structure and the dispersion curves, take place. We perform theoretical calculations to validate this idea with a view of optimizing the field emission behavior of the CNT array. This is the first approach of its kind, and is in contrast to the the conventional approach where a DC bias voltage is applied in order to observe field emission. A first set of experimental results presented in this paper gives a clear indication that phonon-assisted control of field emission current in CNT based thin film diode is possible.

Keywords:  field emission; carbon nanotube; electrodynamics; hydrodynamics; phonon; wave propagation; dispersion

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