Atomic Level Surface Studies of Carbon Nanotube Field Emission Cathodes

碳纳米管有潜力为纳米科学的许多方面做出重大贡献，包括使新技术成为可能，如分子电子学，微型传感器和独特材料。碳纳米管（CNT）场发射电子源由于其独特的物理、电学和化学性质而受到特别关注。这些源的稳定性和可靠性取决于其表面的化学成分和形态。本研究将探讨奈米碳管之场发射特性与奈米碳管表面之化学组成及形貌。将使用成像原子探针在原子水平上研究化学和形态组成，该技术提供原子分辨率、形态成像以及表面和近表面物种的化学鉴定。由此产生的信息将首次提供基本CNT发射过程与表面形态和化学成分细节之间的相关性。该计划将影响未来CNT表征的方式，并促进CNT源纳入实际设备，从而影响纳米电子学，真空微电子学和分子电子学。该计划还提供了一个独特的机会，通过将一个文化多样的学生群体与一个科学计划相结合，将新墨西哥州大学少数民族学生的教育经验与纳米科学和技术相结合，该计划补充了桑迪亚和洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室正在进行的研究。

Carbon nanotubes have the potential to contribute substantially to many aspects of nanoscience including the enabling of new technologies such as molecular electronics, miniaturized sensors, and unique materials. Carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission electron sources are of particular interest because of their unique physical, electrical, and chemical properties. The stability and reliability of these sources is governed by the chemical composition and morphology of their surface. This research project will correlate the field emission characteristics of carbon nanotubes with the chemical composition and morphology of the nanotube surface. The chemical and morphological composition will be investigated at the atomic level using the Imaging Atom-Probe, a technique that provides atomic resolution, morphological imaging, and the chemical identification of surface and near surface species. The resulting information will provide, for the first time, a correlation between fundamental CNT emission processes and details of surface morphology and chemical composition.The program will impact the way CNT characterization is performed in the future and facilitate the incorporation of CNT sources into practical devices thereby impacting nanoelectronics, vacuum microelectronics, and molecular electronics. The program also presents a unique opportunity for blending the educational experience of minority students at the University of New Mexico with nanoscience and technology by acquainting a culturally diverse student population with a scientific program that complements on going research at Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories.