Study on some parameters of affecting field emission characteristics of carbon nanotubes films

To further disclose the emission mechanism and improve emission characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNT) array films, some parameters affecting field emission characteristics were studied. The field-enhancement factor on the CNT´s tip as a function of the CNT´s radius r, height L, along with the inter-tube distance was simulated by self-developed CNTFENS2 software in terms of Laplace equation. The results of numerical simulation indicated that the height and radius of the CNT could affect the field emission of the CNT film. Another finding was that the inter-tube distance thus number density of CNT on the substrate could affect the field-enhancement greatly due to the screening effect of nearby CNT.