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High Electron Gain from Forests of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Mario Michan
Affiliation:
mmichan@gmail.com, The University of British Columbia, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vancouver, Canada
Alireza Nojeh
Affiliation:
anojeh@ece.ubc.ca, The University of British Columbia, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vancouver, Canada
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Abstract

Carbon nanotubes are attractive candidates for electron field-emitters due to their high aspect ratio, mechanical stability, and electrical conductivity. It has previously been shown that an electron beam hitting the tip of a carbon nanotube biased near the threshold of field-emission can stimulate the emission of a large number of electrons from the nanotube tip. Here we report on similar experiments on arrays of free-standing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (nanotube forests) interacting with a scanning electron microscope's primary beam. Electron gains of up to 19,000 were obtained. This can enable applications such as electron detection and multiplication, and vacuum transistors.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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