Field emission, using CNTs displays

CNTs find applications in the areas such as micro electronics, field emission displays. X-ray sources and gas sensors. Single waUed and multi-waUed CNTs can be grown using high pressure arcs, laser ablation and chemical vapour deposition. 

One-dimensional conducting polymer nanomaterials have been utilized as the field emission electron sources for flat panel displays [365-367]. Conducting polymer nanotubes or nanowires were mostly prepared by the electrochemical polymerization within the cylindrical pores of alumina membranes, and the field emission characteristics were evaluated. As a typical example, a field emission cell was composed of PEDOT nanowire (conductivity, 3.4 x 10 S cm ) tips (cathode) and ITO (anode). The turn-on field of PEDOT nanowire was 3.5-4.0 jiAcm at 10V jim , and the current density increased up to 100 xAcm at 4.5 V jim . The field enhancement factor of the PEDOT nanowire tips was 1200 and this value was comparable to that of CNT. PPy nanowire and PANI nanotube was also prepared using nanoporous template, and their field emission characteristics were investigated [365]. PPy nanowire and PANI nanotubes showed the turn-on fields of 3.5-4.0 and 5.0 jjlA cm at 6 and 8 V im . These studies offered a great feasibility of conducting polymers as the building blocks for all-polymer field emission displays. 

Areas for commercial exploitation of electronic CNT nanotechnology include backlighting, field emission displays together with various films using nanomaterials. 

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