SURFACE MODIFICATION OF PRINTED CARBON NANOTUBES AND ITS APPLICATION OF FIELD EMISSION

A surface-modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which shows an excellent electron field emission property was obtained in the present work. Conventional screen-printing technology was applied to prepare the CNT films. After hydrogen plasma surface treating process, the morphology of nanotubes surface were totally changed. Those modified CNTs exhibited low turn-on electron field of 0.98 V/μm, current density of 1 mA/cm2 at a field of 6.53 V/μm and a very high emission site density of about 106/cm2, which is three orders of magnitude higher than that of untreated CNT films. Diode-type prototype devices were obtained which proved the modified CNTs is suitable for field emission displays.