A Simple Method to Make Field Emitter Using Ropes of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Field emission characteristics of single-walled carbon nanotubes were studied by using a simple method in a field emission microscope. The nanotube emission gun works effectively at the room temperature under a threshold field as low as 3.9mV/μm. A typical I-V relationship of field emission was obtained with a high current density. The observed stable bright spots on the fluorescent screen originate from an ensemble emission from micro-ropes of the single-walled carbon nanotubes.