碳纤维阴极的电子发射机制

 建立了金属阴极和碳纤维阴极的电子发射机制模型,发射后的阴极和碳纤维阴极的微观照片证实了模型的正确性。实验结果与分析表明：一种优化的阴极应该具备多种电子发射机制,整个阴极的电子发射更均匀,碳纤维阴极的电子发射不仅具有尖端的场发射,而且伴随着侧向的表面闪络(随纹)。此外和金属阴极相比较,处理后碳纤维阴极具有较慢的等离子体膨胀速度(≤1 cm/μs)并使该实验用微波源具有较宽的微波脉冲输出(≥200 ns)。     

Field emission properties and surface structure of nickel containing amorphous carbon

Nickel containing amorphous carbon (a-C:Ni) films have been deposited by filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) technique by introducing pure nickel into the graphite target. The field electron emission property of a-C:Ni was improved when compared to that of pure tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) by FCVA. The emission threshold field of a-C:Ni film is about 5 V μm⁻¹, whilst the threshold field of the ta-C film is about 13 V μm⁻¹. Raman spectroscopy suggests that the sp² clusters in the carbon film increase both in size and number when Ni is introduced. However, the emission was found to degrade to threshold fields beyond 20 V μm⁻¹ after the a-C:Ni film was left in ambient for a week. This observation is attributed to surface absorption of oxygen on the a-C:Ni film, as determined by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy.     

A comparative study of thermionic emission from vertically grown carbon nanotubes and tungsten cathodes

Thermionic emission from vertically grown carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by water-assisted chemical vapor deposition (WA-CVD) is investigated. I-V characteristics of WA-CNT samples exhibit strong Schottky effect leading to field proportionality factor β ∼ 10⁴ cm⁻¹in contrast to β ∼ 200 cm⁻¹ for the bare tungsten substrate. Non-contact atomic force microscopy imaging of CNT samples show propensity of nanoasperities over a scale of micron size over which the tungsten surface is seen to be atomically smooth. The values of root mean-square roughness for CNTs and W were found to be 24.2 nm and 0.44 nm respectively. The Richardson-Dushman plots yield work function values of Φ_CNT ? 4.5 and Φ_W ? 4.3 eV. Current versus time data shows that CNT cathodes are fifteen times noisier than tungsten cathode presumably due to increased importance of individual atomic events on the sharp CNT tips of bristle like structures. Power spectral density of current exhibited 1/f^ξ behavior with ξ ? 1.5, and 2 for W and CNTs. The former suggests surface diffusion whereas the latter indicates adsorption/desorption of atomic/molecular species as a dominant mechanism of noise generation.     

Field emission properties of carbon nanotubes film grown on NiCr alloy films

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are prepared on NiCr alloy films by low pressure thermal chemical vapor deposition at 600 °C. NiCr alloy films are deposited by magnetic co-sputtering method, and the various thickness and Ni/NiCr ratios are controlled by sputtering power. The diameter and length of CNTs, as well as the roughness of the CNTs films, mainly depend on the Ni/NiCr ratio. The field emission current density of the CNTs film increases with the increasing Ni/NiCr ratio from 65 wt% to 83 wt%, and decreases when the Ni/NiCr ratio is more than 87 wt% in the alloy film.     

Electron emission degradation of nano-structured sp^2-bonded amorphous carbon films

The initial field electron emission degradation behaviour of original nano-structured sp^2-bonded amorphous carbon films has been observed, which can be attributed to the increase of the work function of the film in the field emission process analysed using a Fowler-Nordheim plot. The possible reason for the change of work function is suggested to be the desorption of hydrogen from the original hydrogen termination film surface due to field emission current-induced local heating. For the explanation of the emission degradation behaviour of the nano-structured sp2-bonded amorphous carbon film, a cluster model with a series of graphite （0001） basal surfaces has been presented, and the theoretical calculations have been performed to investigate work functions of graphite （0001） surfaces with different hydrogen atom and ion chemisorption sites by using first principles method based on density functional theory-local density approximation.     

The electrochemical and mechanical properties of Ti incorporated amorphous carbon films in Hanks’ solution

Ti incorporated amorphous carbon (a-C) films with variant Ti contents were prepared by the unbalanced magnetron sputtering process. Scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the microstructure of a-C films. The hardness and lubricated tribological properties were assessed using nanoindentation and ball-on-disk tribometer. As the Ti content in a-C films increases from 0 to 15.2 at.%, the sp³ volume fraction, the internal stress and the hardness of the films decreases gradually, while the disorder of sp² bond increases. The electrochemical tests reveal that the a-C films with lower than 1.5 at.% Ti possess good corrosion resistance in Hanks’ solution, while the a-C film with 15.2 at.% Ti is susceptible to crevice corrosion. The reduced friction of the a-C films is due to the sp² bonded film surface and boundary lubrication of the Hanks’ solution. The a-C film with 3.1 at.% Ti exhibits the best wear resistance in Hanks’ solution among the studied films.     

Synthesis of flower-like MoS2/CNTs nanocomposite as an efficient catalyst for the sonocatalytic degradation of hydroxychloroquine

Contamination of water resources by pharmaceutical residues, especially during the time of pandemics, has become a serious problem worldwide and concerns have been raised about the efficient elimination of these compounds from aquatic environments. This study has focused on the development and evaluation of the sonocatalytic activity of a flower-like MoS₂/CNTs nanocomposite for the targeted degradation of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). This nanocomposite was prepared using a facile hydrothermal route and characterized with various analytical methods, including X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy, which results confirmed the successful synthesis of the nanocomposite. Moreover, the results of the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy analyses showed an increase in the specific surface area and a decrease in the band gap energy of the nanocomposite when compared with those of MoS₂. Nanocomposites with different component mass ratios were then synthesized, and MoS₂/CNTs (10:1) was identified to have the best sonocatalytic activity. The results indicated that 70% of HCQ with the initial concentration of 20 mg/L could be degraded using 0.1 g/L of MoS₂/CNTs (10:1) nanocomposite within 120 min of sonocatalysis at the pH of 8.7 (natural pH of the HCQ solution). The dominant reactive species in the sonocatalytic degradation process were identified using various scavengers and the intermediates generated during the process were detected using GC–MS analysis, enabling the development of a likely degradation scheme. In addition, the results of consecutive sonocatalytic cycles confirmed the stability and reusability of this nanocomposite for sonocatalytic applications. Thus, our data introduce MoS₂/CNTs nanocomposite as a proficient sonocatalyst for the treatment of pharmaceutical contaminants.     

532 nm激光照射碳纳米管光场致发射电子枪

报道了碳纳米管光场致发射电子枪的初步研究结果。在532 nm激光照射下碳纳米管光场致发射电子枪在极间高压为27 kV时得到的最大的脉冲流强可以达到3.364 A,其脉冲电流发射密度可达6.728 A/cm2,对应脉冲电荷量为38.7 nC。碳纳米管的量子效率通过公式计算为3.73×10-5,给出了在532 nm激光照射下碳纳米管光场致发射电子枪发射电流随激光功率和极间电压的变化关系。     

532nm激光照射碳纳米管光场致发射电子枪(英文)

报道了碳纳米管光场致发射电子枪的初步研究结果。在532nm激光照射下碳纳米管光场致发射电子枪在极间高压为27kV时得到的最大的脉冲流强可以达到3.364A,其脉冲电流发射密度可达6.728A/cm2,对应脉冲电荷量为38.7nC。碳纳米管的量子效率通过公式计算为3.73×10-5,给出了在532nm激光照射下碳纳米管光场致发射电子枪发射电流随激光功率和极间电压的变化关系。     

Electron field emission from single-walled carbon nanotube nonwoven

Field emission from single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) nonwoven has been investigated under high vacuum with different vacuum gaps. A low turn-on electric field of 1.05\,V/$\mu $m is required to reach an emission current density of 10 $\mu $A/cm$^{2}$. An emission current density of 10 mA/cm$^{2}$ is obtained at an operating electric field of 1.88\,V/$\mu $m. No current saturation is found even at an emission current of 5\,mA. With the vacuum gap increasing from 1 to 10 mm, the turn-on field decreases monotonically from 1.21 to 0.68\,V/$\mu $m, while the field amplification is augmented. The good field-emission behaviour is ascribed to the combined effects of the intrinsic field emission of SWNT and the waved topography of the nonwoven.     

Electron diffraction on graphite nanocrystals in the walls of carbon nanotubes

The structure and defects in the walls and cavities of carbon nanotubes were examined by electron diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and Raman spectroscopy. The predominating defects in the walls of the nanotubes are graphite nanocrystals having a preferential orientation in the direction of the nanotube axis, and another significant type of defects are particles of the catalyst in the nanotube cavities. In the cavities, also the presence of molybdenum was proved having its origin in the catalyst.     

Influence of high-energy electron irradiation on field emission properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) films

The effect of very high energy electron beam irradiation on the field emission characteristics of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been investigated. The MWCNTs films deposited on silicon (Si) substrates were irradiated with 6 MeV electron beam at different fluence of 1×10¹⁵, 2×10¹⁵ and 3×10¹⁵ electrons/cm². The irradiated films were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and micro-Raman spectrometer. The SEM analysis clearly revealed a change in surface morphology of the films upon irradiation. The Raman spectra of the irradiated films show structural damage caused by the interaction of high-energy electrons. The field emission studies were carried out in a planar diode configuration at the base pressure of ∼1×10⁻⁸ mbar. The values of the threshold field, required to draw an emission current density of ∼1 μA/cm², are found to be ∼0.52, 1.9, 1.3 and 0.8 V/μm for untreated, irradiated with fluence of 1×10¹⁵, 2×10¹⁵ and 3×10¹⁵ electrons/cm². The irradiated films exhibit better emission current stability as compared to the untreated film. The improved field emission properties of the irradiated films have been attributed to the structural damage as revealed from the Raman studies.     

Aligned carbon nanotubes catalytically grown on iron-based nanoparticles obtained by laser-induced CVD

Iron-based nanoparticles are prepared by a laser-induced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. They are characterized as body-centered Fe and Fe₂O₃ (maghemite/magnetite) particles with sizes ≤5 and 10 nm, respectively. The Fe particles are embedded in a protective carbon matrix. Both kind of particles are dispersed by spin-coating on SiO₂/Si(1 0 0) flat substrates. They are used as catalyst to grow carbon nanotubes by a plasma- and filaments-assisted catalytic CVD process (PE-HF-CCVD). Vertically oriented and thin carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were grown with few differences between the two samples, except the diameter in relation to the initial size of the iron particles, and the density. The electron field emission of these samples exhibit quite interesting behavior with a low turn-on voltage at around 1 V/μm.     

Field electron emission images of multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Field electron emission microscope images from multi-walled carbon nanotubes can typically be characterized by the presence of five pentagons surrounding a sixth central pentagon. The observations of bright line centered interference patterns between adjacent pentagons in the field electron emission microscope images of multi-walled carbon nanotubes have been reported in the literature. We have observed a shift from bright to dark line centered interference patterns and associated this with the presence of surface adsorption. In order to identify the origin of the contaminant, multi-walled carbon nanotubes were dosed with H₂, H₂O, CO and O₂ and then imaged in the field electron emission microscope. Only the samples exposed to O₂ showed a shift from a bright line centered pattern between adjacent pentagons of a clean surface to a dark line centered pattern when one pentagon was contaminated or a bright line centered pattern when both adjacent pentagons become contaminated. The results of the experimental studies and the modeling of the changes in the field emission pattern as phase shifts in the wave function of the tunneling electrons due to modifications in the surface work function are presented.     

PLD方法制备的超硬非晶碳薄膜研究

 用脉冲激光沉积在不同条件下制备非晶碳超硬薄膜,研究了非晶碳超硬薄膜的表面形貌、结构、应力、硬度以及能谱等。原子力显微镜和扫描电镜图像显示,薄膜表面平整、致密且光滑,均方根粗糙度最大为0.877 nm。在高激光重复频率、高激光通量条件下,薄膜有很大的应力,致使膜层褶皱甚至破裂,小角X射线衍射表明薄膜为非晶态且最大残余应力达30 GPa以上,但300 ℃温度的原位退火可以有效降低残余应力;纳米压痕测试表明薄膜硬度大于20 GPa,弹性模量大于200 GPa;X射线光电子能谱表明薄膜中sp3的含量在39%~53%之间变化,并且与激光通量成正比。     

Gas phase kinetic and optical emission spectroscopy studies in plasma-enhanced hot filament catalytic CVD production of carbon nanotubes

Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is used as the main experimental tool for comparison with simulations of the plasma and gas phase composition during plasma-enhanced hot filament catalytic chemical vapor deposition (PE HF CCVD) growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Calculated concentration of more than 45 species in model of the CVD reactor is acquired by Chemkin™ software. Study of different conditions is performed and a close relationship can be found between the nature and the growth rate of carbon nanostructures and the concentration of the active gas phase species. Moreover it is shown that significant changes in the density and morphology of the CNTs grown in the presence of NH₃ could be mainly explained by the gas phase formation of CN and HCN.     

Simulation and fabrication of carbon nanotubes field emission pressure sensors

A novel field emission pressure sensor has been achieved utilizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the electron source. The sensor consists of the anode sensing film fabricated by wet etching process and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) cathode in the micro-vacuum chamber. MWNTs on the silicon substrate were grown by thermal CVD. The prototype pressure sensor has a measured sensitivity of about 0.17-0.77 nA/Pa (101-550 KPa). The work shows the potential use of CNTs-based field-emitter in microsensors, such as accelerometers and tactile sensors.     

Surface energy and hybridization studies of amorphous carbon surfaces

Surface properties of a large number of amorphous carbon (a-C) films have been investigated using contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Dense a-C surfaces with variable sp³/(sp² + sp³) average hybridization were grown using sputtering or pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and were further chemically modified by thermal annealing, ion bombardment or covalent grafting of organic monolayers. The average carbon hybridization, impurity level and mass density, were deduced from XPS and photoelectron energy loss spectroscopy (PEELS). The depth sensitivity of the dispersive (Lifshitz–van der Waals) interaction, estimated at 1–2 nm from the dependence of γ^LW on the grafted perflorodecene molecule coverage, is much better than XPS which probes a 3–5 nm depth. The observation of a non-monotonic behavior in the correlation between surface hybridization and electron donor component of surface energy reveals that the average carbon hybridization alone does not describe the entire surface energy physics. The role of π bond clustering in the polar interactions is thus considered and some implications on surface reactivity and mutual interactions with molecular or biomolecular species are discussed.     

Stable electron field emission from carbon nanotubes emitter transferred on graphene films

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) arrays grown by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) method was transferred onto the substrate covered with graphene layer obtained by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology. The graphene buffer layer provides good electrical and thermal contact to the CNTs. The field emission characteristics of this hybrid structure were investigated in this study. Compared with the CNTs arrays directly grown on the silicon substrate, the hybrid emitter shows better field emission performance, such as high emission current and long-term emission stability. The presence of this graphene layer was shown to improve the field emission behavior of CNTs. This work provides an effective way to realize stable field emission from CNTs emitter and similar hybrid structures.     

Nanomechanical characterization of amorphous hydrogenated carbon thin films

Amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) thin films deposited on a silicon substrate under various mixtures of methane-hydrogen gas by electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (ECR-MPCVD) was investigated. Microstructure, surface morphology and mechanical characterizations of the a-C:H films were analyzed using Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nanoindentation technique, respectively. The results indicated there was an increase of the hydrogen content, the ratio of the D-peak to the G-peak (I_D/I_G) increased but the surface roughness of the films was reduced. Both hardness and Young's modulus increased as the hydrogen content was increased. In addition, the contact stress-strain analysis is reported. The results confirmed that the mechanical properties of the amorphous hydrogenated carbon thin films improved using a higher H₂ content in the source gas.