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Pine-tree-like morphologies of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes: Electron field emission enhancement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 September 2014

María Luisa García-Betancourt ,
Néstor Perea-López ,
Sofía M. Vega-Díaz ,
Florentino López-Urías ,
Ana Laura Elías ,
Josué Ortiz-Medina ,
Emilio Muñoz-Sandoval  and
Mauricio Terrones
María Luisa García-Betancourt
Affiliation:
Advanced Materials Division, IPICYT, San Luis Potosí 78216, México; and Department of Physics and Center for 2-Dimensional and Layered Materials, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Néstor Perea-López
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Center for 2-Dimensional and Layered Materials, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Sofía M. Vega-Díaz
Affiliation:
Research Center for Exotic Nanocarbons (JST), Shinshu University, Nagano-city 380-8553, Japan
Florentino López-Urías
Affiliation:
Advanced Materials Division, IPICYT, San Luis Potosí 78216, México
Ana Laura Elías
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Center for 2-Dimensional and Layered Materials, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Josué Ortiz-Medina
Affiliation:
Research Center for Exotic Nanocarbons (JST), Shinshu University, Nagano-city 380-8553, Japan
Emilio Muñoz-Sandoval*
Affiliation:
Advanced Materials Division, IPICYT, San Luis Potosí 78216, México
Mauricio Terrones
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Center for 2-Dimensional and Layered Materials, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Research Center for Exotic Nanocarbons (JST), Shinshu University, Nagano-city 380-8553, Japan; and Department of Chemistry and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: ems@ipicyt.edu.mx
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Abstract

Nitrogen-doped multiwalled carbon nanotube (CNT) bundles exhibiting pine-tree-like morphologies were synthesized on silicon–silicon oxide (Si/SiO2) substrates using a pressure-controlled chemical vapor deposition process. Electron field emission (FE) measurements showed a notable emission improvement at low turn-on voltages for the CNT pine-like morphologies (e.g., 0.59 V/µm) in comparison with standard aligned N-doped CNTs (>1.5 V/µm). We envisage that these pine-tree-like structures could be potentially useful in the fabrication of efficient FE and photonic devices.

Keywords

nanostructurechemical vapor deposition (CVD)field emission

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Articles
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Journal of Materials Research , Volume 29 , Issue 20 , 28 October 2014 , pp. 2441 - 2450
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2014 

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References

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