Long-term stability of a horizontally-aligned carbon nanotube field emission cathode coated with a metallic glass thin film

A horizontally-aligned carbon nanotube (HACNT) field emission cathode was coated with a metallic glass thin film (MGTF) to improve the stability of the field emission properties. HACNT field emission cathodes have previously been fabricated on glass substrates using composite plating and crack-formation techniques. A carbon nanotubes/nickel (CNTs/Ni) composite film is deposited onto a glass substrate at 80 degrees C by the composite plating technique alone. Cracks are then formed in the CNT/Ni composite film during 30 min heating at 300 degrees C, and HACNTs are exposed in the cracks. The field emission properties of the HACNT field emission cathode show a low turn-on electric field E-on of about 2.3 V/mu m, a low threshold electric field E-th of about 4.7 V/mu m at an emission current density of 1 mA/cm(2), and a stability time of 78 h. The degradation of the HACNT field emission cathode is prevented by using a MGTF-coating technique and superior long-term stability (i.e. >125 h, with 5 nm MGTF; >270 h, with 10 nm MGTF) for the MGTF/HACNT field emission cathode is achieved. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.