Field emission of carbon nanotubes grown on nickel substrate

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been synthesized directly on the electrically conducting nickel substrate without additional catalyst. Field emission properties of the as-prepared sample were characterized using parallel plate diode configurations. It was observed that the field emission qualitatively follows the conventional Fowler–Nordheim (F–N) theory from the straight line of ln(I/V2) versus 1/V plot at the high applied field region. The uniformity and stability of the electron emission have also been examined. The low electron turn-on field (Eto) and high emission current density indicates the potential applications of this new CNT-based emitter.