Intense pulsed field emission of carbon nanotube film grown on electroless plated nickel substrate by pyrolysis

Nickel substrate layer was prepared by using electroless plating method. CNT film was directly grown on such substrate by pyrolysis of iron Phthalocyanine (FePc). The intense pulsed emission characteristics were measured with a diode structure. When the peak value of pulsed evenly applied electric field was set at ∼11.6 V/µm, the peak current and current density are ∼200 A and 10.2 A/cm2, respectively and the corresponding turn-on field is ∼4.8 V/µm. The peak current and current density at a pulsed macro electric field with a peak value of ∼13.5 V/µm are ∼1253 A and 63.8 A/cm2 respectively, with a turn-on field ∼1.8 V/µm. According to the wave curves, the emission behavior should be considered as intense pulsed field emission. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)