Conducting polymer based hybrid structure as transparent and flexible field electron emitter

An efficient cathode material with high transparency (93%) based on conducting polymer poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) has been developed for the fabrication of highly transparent and flexible field electron emitters (FEE). This kind of material showed superior field emission (FE) performance with very high current density (10^–3A/cm²) at very low electric field. The FE performance of the hybrid materials was dramatically improved compared to either SWCNTs and PEDOT:PSS. Thus the hybrid structures of conducting polymer and SWCNTs might be a good choice for use as a cathode material to enhance the FE performance and for potential application in future portable displays. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Preserving long-term emission stability of carbon nanotube field emitter using aluminum layer

Carbon nanotube (CNT) field emitter was fabricated, and then its emission stability was evaluated with three different anode structures; indium tin oxide (ITO)/glass, ZnS:Cu,Al(green phosphor)/ITO/glass, and Al/ZnS:Cu,Al/ITO/glass. It was found that the electron emission from CNTs to the phosphor layer degrades much faster than the emission to ITO layer does. The current decay time from 100 μA/cm² to 50 μA/cm² for ITO/glass and ZnS:Cu,Al/ITO/glass were 250 h and 20 h, respectively. Such rapid decay in emission current with the phosphor-coated anode was found to be attributed to the formation of Zn particles on CNTs during the field emission. However, the deposition of aluminum layer on the phosphor, in other words, using the anode structure of Al/ZnS:Cu,Al/ITO/glass recovered the stability that is comparable to that with an ITO/glass. The aluminum layer was found to efficiently prevent phosphor elements from being degassed, preserving the long-term emission stability of carbon nanotubes.     

Field emission from carbon nanotube and tetrapod-like ZnO compound cathode fabricated by spin-coating method

We present a study of the field emission properties of a mixture of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and tetrapod-like zinc oxide nanostructures (ZTPNs). A spin-coating process instead of screen-printing was used to fabricate the cathode; this prevented largely the destruction of the slim needles of ZTPNs by mechanical rubbing. The protruding needles of ZTPNs in the paste are largely responsible for the field emission, while the CNTs have been added to improve the conductivity of cathode. Ultra low turn-on field at 0.6 V/μm and threshold field at 1.5 V/μm were obtained; moreover, the emission uniformity improved substantially compared to unmixed samples of ZTPN.     

激光烧蚀对碳纳米管薄膜场发射性能的影响

采用丝网印刷工艺制作了碳纳米管(CNTs)薄膜阴极.经适当能量激光烧蚀后,相互粘连的CNTs随表面粘附有机物的蒸发而分散开,管间隙增加、屏蔽效应减小,使得场发射性能大幅度提高,开启场强降低、场倍增因子β增大.Raman光谱分析表明,随激光能量增加,CNTs表面缺陷增多,成为新的场发射点,对其β增大的贡献加强.相对于两电极结构,三电极中平栅极结构场发射性能经激光烧蚀有更显著的改善.这说明激光烧蚀是提高CNTs场发射性能的有效方法. 关键词： 碳纳米管薄膜 场发射 激光烧蚀 Raman光谱     

Two-dimensional Sb cluster superlattice on Si substrate fabricated by a two-step method

Nanoclusters consisting of a few atoms have attracted a lot of research interests due to their exotic size-dependent properties. Here, well-ordered two-dimensional Sb cluster superlattice was fabricated on Si substrate by a two-step method and characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy. High resolution scanning tunneling microscope measurements revealed the fine structures of the Sb clusters, which consist of several Sb atoms ranging from 2 to 7. Furthermore, the electronic structure of the nanocluster displays the quantized energy-level which is due to the single-electron tunneling effects. We believe that the fabrication of Sb cluster superlattice broadens the species of the cluster superlattice and provides a promising candidate to further explore the novel physical and chemical properties of the semimetal nanocluster.     

Solution‐processible polymer solar cells fabricated on a papery substrate

We report on solution‐processible polymer solar cells (PSCs) fabricated on a papery substrate using carton. Highly conductive PEDOT:PSS was used as a bottom anode and planarization layer, and a semi‐transparent top cathode was applied. This research could be an important approach to the development of all‐solution‐processible papery PSCs as well as paper electronics.

     

Femtosecond laser pulse generation with a fiber taper embedded in carbon nanotube/polymer composite

We propose and demonstrate a new saturable absorber based on a fiber taper embedded in a carbon nanotube/polymer composite. Greater than a 10% reduction in absorption (due to saturation) is directly measured for our saturable absorber. Using an embedded fiber-taper saturable absorber, we built an all-fiber mode-locked ring laser, which produces 594 fs/1.7 nJ pulses with a repetition rate of 13.3 MHz.     

Direct writing of carbon nanotube patterns by laser-induced chemical vapor deposition on a transparent substrate

Dot array and line patterns of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were successfully grown by laser-induced chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) on a transparent substrate at room temperature. In the proposed technique, a Nd:YVO₄ laser with a wavelength of 532 nm irradiates the backside of multiple catalyst layers (Ni/Al/Cr) through a transparent substrate to induce a local temperature rise, thereby allowing the direct writing of dense dot and line patterns of MWCNTs below 10 μm in size to be produced with uniform density on the controlled positions. In this LCVD method, a multiple-catalyst-layer with a Cr thermal layer is the central component for enabling the growth of dense MWCNTs with good spatial resolution.     

Enhanced field ionization of water adsorbed on a carbon monoxide-covered, platinum field emitter tip

The influence of carbon monoxide, adsorbed on a platinum field emitter tip, on field ionization of adsorbed water was examined. Ramped field desorption (RFD) measurements of water ionization were performed at 108 K for water layer thicknesses up to 80 ML on a clean or CO-saturated tip surface. In RFD the applied field is ramped linearly in time until water ionization is detected, giving the onset field of ionization. Water ionization yields hydrated hydroxide ions and protons; the hydroxide ions remain within the water layer on the tip, while the hydrated protons are emitted into vacuum. At a low water coverage of 1.5 ML, the CO adlayer substantially reduced the onset field of ionization (that is, facilitated ionization) of water by 40%, from a value of 0.43 V/Å for water on clean Pt to 0.26 V/Å for water on CO-covered Pt. The extent of the reduction gradually diminished with thicker coverages of water and was absent at coverages of 20 ML or greater. The characteristic decay length of the field enhancement was 4.7 ± 1 ML. The results were analyzed with the charge exchange model of ionization kinetics and changes in dipole moments of water adsorbed without and with CO. The analysis reveals that a change in water structure (dipole moment) caused by CO is an important contributor in field enhancement and that the dipole moment for hydrated hydroxide ion in an ice-like layer must be greater than that for bulk ice-like water. The significance of these results with respect to electrochemical oxidation of CO is discussed.     

碳纳米管从硅基板上剥离的拉伸分子动力学模拟研究

采用拉伸分子动力学方法研究了单壁碳纳米管(8, 8)在室温下从硅基板上被剥离的过程.当碳纳米管(CNT)在硅基底上被剥离时, 剥离距离和理想弹簧所测平均剥离力之间呈现一定规律的关系曲线,并出现了较大的正、负峰值. 比较了不同剥离速度下的平均剥离力,并拟合了其峰值与速度的关系. 拉伸分子动力学模拟结果显示,所需剥离力的最大值与速度之间呈现一定的线性关系, 模拟结果同生物物理学上类似的剥离实验结果符合较好,但相比于高分子, CNT和硅(Si)组成的界面吸附性能更强.讨论了碳纳米管长度、 半径及缺陷对剥离过程的影响,研究表明:所需最大的剥离力与CNT的长度无关, 但随CNT半径的增加,需要的最大剥离力线性增加; 5-7-7-5缺陷对剥离力最大值影响较小,而半径变化缺陷会削减最大剥离力. 在原子尺度对未来的试验进行了理论预测,为碳纳米管在硅微电子工业中的应用提供了理论基础.     

Highly sensitive and homogeneous SERS substrate fabricated by a femtosecond laser combined with dewetting

We report a simple, cost-effective and repeatable method for fabricating a large area and uniform substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering(SERS). The silicon, micromachined by a femtosecond laser, is coated with gold film and then treated through the dewetting process. The morphology shows a higher electric field enhancement due to light trapping. The enhancement factor of the SERS substrate is 9.2 × 107 with a 5 nm-thick film coated. Moreover, it also exhibits a uniform signal through Raman mapping and chemical stability with the greatest intensity deviation of 6% after a month. The proposed technique provides an opportunity to equip microchips with the SERS capabilities of high sensitivity, chemical stability, and homogeneous signals.     

Dynamics of single-wall carbon nanotube synthesis by laser vaporization

The key spatial and temporal scales for single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) synthesis by laser vaporization at high temperatures are investigated with laser-induced luminescence imaging and spectroscopy. Graphite/(Ni, Co) targets are ablated under typical synthesis conditions with a Nd:YAG laser at 1000 °C in a 2-in. quartz tube reactor in flowing 500-Torr Ar. The plume of ejected material is followed for several seconds after ablation using combined imaging and spectroscopy of Co atoms, C₂ and C₃ molecules, and clusters. The ablation plume expands in stages during the first 200 7s after ablation and displays a self-focusing behavior. Interaction of the plume with the background gas forms a vortex ring which segregates and confines the vaporized material within a ~1-cm³ volume for several seconds. Using time-resolved spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging, the time for conversion of atomic and molecular species to clusters was measured for both carbon (200 7s) and cobalt (2 ms) at 1000 °C. This rapid conversion of carbon to nanoparticles, combined with transmission electron microscopy analysis of the collected deposits, indicate that nanotube growth occurs over several seconds in a plume of mixed nanoparticles. By adjusting the time spent by the plume within the high-temperature zone using these in situ diagnostics, single-walled nanotubes of controlled (~100 nm) length were grown and the first estimate of a growth rate on single laser shots (0.2 7m/s) was obtained.     

一种碳纳米管场效应管的HSPICE模型

为在HSPICE中建立一种计算简单且精度较高的碳纳米管场效应管 (carbon nanotube field effect transistor, CNTFET) 模型, 在CNTFET半经典建模方法的基础上, 分析了自洽电势与载流子密度之间的关系, 提出用线性近似进行拟合, 并推导了自洽电势的显式表达式, 从而避免了积分方程的迭代求解过程. 然后在HSPICE中建立了相应的CNTFET模型, 通过仿真比较, 结果表明该模型具有较高的精度, 用其构建的逻辑门电路能够实现相应逻辑功能, 且运算时间大为减少. 关键词： 碳纳米管场效应管 半经典模型 线性近似拟合 HSPICE仿真     

Glassy nanostructures fabricated by the direct laser writing method

This paper reports on the synthesis of glassy nanostructures in which the framework is a face-centered cubic lattice of inverse yablonovite with a disordered glassy superstructure. The synthesis has been performed by the direct laser writing method based on two-photon polymerization of a photosensitive material. The fabricated structures have been investigated using scanning electron microscopy. A theoretical calculation of the photonic band structures of the direct yablonovite and the inverse yablonovite has been carried out.     

石墨基底上垂直生长碳纳米管为芯的碳锥结构

采用一种改进的化学气相沉积方法，成功地在石墨基底上自组装生长出以碳锥为支撑的、碳纳米管为芯的新型功能材料.该结构的材料可以用作扫描电子显微镜探针和场发射电子显微镜的针尖.利用电子显微镜研究了不同合成条件对该碳纳米管与碳锥结构生长的影响，给出了最优生长条件，并讨论了生长机制. 关键词： 碳锥 碳纳米管 化学气相沉积 场发射     

Controllable fabrication and characterization of conical nanocarbon structures on polymer substrate for transparent and flexible field emission displays

The direct fabrication of fully transparent conical nanocarbon structures (CNCSs) of controlled nanoscopic dimension on a flexible nafion substrate was achieved, using field electron source, by a novel room temperature ion irradiation technique. By controlling the sizes (below the wavelength of visible light) of the CNCSs, the transparency of the substrate can be tailored satisfactorily. The transparency of the CNCSs was observed to be around 90% in the visible regime depending on the ion irradiation time. Our results suggest that the direct fabrication of well controlled fully transparent CNCSs on any transparent and flexible substrate at room temperature could open a novel route for potential applications in future highly transparent, flexible (bendable), low weight and portable field emission displays (FEDs). (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Nonlinear vibration of a double-walled carbon nanotube embedded in a polymer matrix

In the current work, the nonlinear vibration of an embedded double-walled carbon nanotube (DWCNT) aroused by nonlinear van der Waals (vdW) interaction forces from both surrounding medium and adjacent tubes is studied. Using both Euler–Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam models, the relation between deflection amplitudes and resonant frequencies of the DWCNT is derived through harmonic balance method. It is found that the nonlinear vdW forces from the surrounding medium result in noncoaxial vibration of the embedded DWCNT. The noncoaxial vibration includes both uni-directional and bi-directional vibration modes. It is found that the surrounding matrix has more prominent effect on the uni-directional vibration in comparison to the bi-directional vibration. The axial load effect on the vibrational behavior of the embedded DWCNT is also discussed. Due to the influence of the surrounding polymer, the prediction on the resonant frequencies of embedded CNTs is quite different from that for free-standing CNTs. A softening behavior for the deflection amplitude-resonant frequency relation is observed for the first time in the bi-directional vibration of the embedded DWCNT, which can only be obtained using the Timoshenko beam theory.     

A thin film triode type carbon nanotube field emission cathode

The field electron emission of carbon nanotubes has been heavily studied over the past two decades for various applications, such as in display technologies, microwave amplifiers, and spacecraft propulsion. However, a commercializable lightweight and internally gated electron source has yet to be realized. This work presents the fabrication and testing of a novel internally gated carbon nanotube field electron emitter. Several specific methods are used to prevent electrical shorting of the gate layer, a common failure for internally gated devices. A unique design is explored where the etch pits extend into the silicon substrate and isotropic etching is used to create a lateral buffer zone between the gate and carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes are self-aligned to and within 10 microns from the gate, which creates large electric fields at low potential inputs. Initial tests confirm high field emission performance with an anode current density (based on total area of the device) of 293 μA?cm^?2 and a gate current density of 1.68 mA?cm^?2 at 250 V.     

Strongly localized states in a single carbon nanotube with polymer molecules

A single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) with conjugated polymer molecules is analyzed via optical spectroscopy. The presence of strongly localized excitonic states in the SWCNT is confirmed using time-integrated photoluminescence (PL). The PL spectrum exhibits extremely narrow width (~0.8 meV) which is attributed to the strong confinement of the states by polymer molecules. In addition, I observed that the excited states are gradually filled as a function of the excitation power, which supports the localized excitonic behavior. Only the ground excitonic state is observed at low excitation powers, but three additional PL peaks appear as the excitation power is increased. Especially, the power-dependent PL spectrum shows a blueshift and increased width, which can be elucidated in terms of quantum confined stark effect and the screening of induced electric fields. Overall, I demonstrate that the presence of polymer molecules induces several localized states in a single SWCNT.