Properties of Field Electron Emitter Based on Carbon Nanotubes Installed in the Small-Sized X-Ray Tube

A small-sized X-ray tube with a carbon nanotube planar field electron emitter has been manufactured and tested. Field electron emitter was grown by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method on a nickel substrate. During long time tests (more than 50 hours) the X-ray tube has demonstrated stable characteristics of the emitter current in the dc mode. Relative emission current fluctuations were about 0.3% at the emitter emission current equal to 550 μA.