Photolithography-based carbon nanotubes patterning for field emission displays

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) emitters were successfully patterned in small pixels (50 x 50 mum(2)) by using photolithography process on a hard metal electrode for field emission displays (FEDs) application. The CNTs particles in the patterned pixels were uniformly distributed on 2-inch diagonal substrates. The maximum diameter of CNTs particles could be controlled less than 20 mum. After patterning and heat treatment process below 300 degreesC, most of CNTs bundles on the cathode electrode were aligned perpendicular to the substrates. The threshold electric field of emission for patterned CNTs was about 4.2 V mum(-1) and the field enhancement factor derived from the Fowler-Nordheim plots of the electron emissions was about 100 000 in the high voltage region. This newly developed process can be applicable to field emitter arrays for high resolution FEDs. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.