TY - JOUR
T1 - The dynamic observation of the field emission site of electrons on a carbon nanotube tip
AU - Kuzumaki, Toru
AU - Horiike, Yasuhiro
AU - Kizuka, Tokushi
AU - Kona, Takayuki
AU - Oshima, Chuhei
AU - Mitsuda, Yoshitaka
PY - 2004/10
Y1 - 2004/10
N2 - A carbon nanotube (CNT) tip in an electric field was dynamically observed at an atomic scale. The field emission site of electrons was investigated by using a field ion microscope (FIM) and a field emission microscope (FEM). In-situ transmission electron microscope observations demonstrated that the CNT tip was deformed by bending the outer layers during field emission. The deformation process resulted in the formation of a nanoscale protrusion as an emission site at the CNT tip. The deformation mechanism can be explained by the reconstruction of carbon atoms. The high electric field that was concentrated in the vicinity of the pentagonal carbon rings on the CNT tip and the electrical attraction caused by applying the bias voltage between electrodes may have contributed to the formation of the protrusion. The atomic structural observations by FIM and FEM indicated that electrons were emitted from the nanoscale protrusion on the carbon network, rather than from the pentagonal carbon ring. The formation of the emission site contributed to the excellent field emission characteristics of the CNT. However, the structural change can be considered as damage caused to the CNT by the high electric field.
AB - A carbon nanotube (CNT) tip in an electric field was dynamically observed at an atomic scale. The field emission site of electrons was investigated by using a field ion microscope (FIM) and a field emission microscope (FEM). In-situ transmission electron microscope observations demonstrated that the CNT tip was deformed by bending the outer layers during field emission. The deformation process resulted in the formation of a nanoscale protrusion as an emission site at the CNT tip. The deformation mechanism can be explained by the reconstruction of carbon atoms. The high electric field that was concentrated in the vicinity of the pentagonal carbon rings on the CNT tip and the electrical attraction caused by applying the bias voltage between electrodes may have contributed to the formation of the protrusion. The atomic structural observations by FIM and FEM indicated that electrons were emitted from the nanoscale protrusion on the carbon network, rather than from the pentagonal carbon ring. The formation of the emission site contributed to the excellent field emission characteristics of the CNT. However, the structural change can be considered as damage caused to the CNT by the high electric field.
KW - Carbon nanotube
KW - Electron emission site
KW - Field emission
KW - Field emission microscopy
KW - Field ion microscopy
KW - Transmission electron microscopy
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U2 - 10.1016/j.diamond.2004.06.012
DO - 10.1016/j.diamond.2004.06.012
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:9644281016
VL - 13
SP - 1907
EP - 1913
JO - Diamond and Related Materials
JF - Diamond and Related Materials
SN - 0925-9635
IS - 10
ER -