Thin film cold cathode from nanostructured carbon

Thin films of nanostructured carbon material were grown on silicon substrates by a d.c. discharge plasma CVD technique. HREM investigation have shown that the films contain carbon nanotubes and flaked graphite nanocrystallites with predominant orientation of nanotube axes and basal graphene planes of crystallites along a normal to substrate surface. Electron field emission was observed at average fields above 1 V/μm with emission site density higher than ${10}^6\text{\hspace{0.05em}1/}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{2}}$ and emission current density up to 10 mA/cm² at 4 V/μm. The prototypes of cathodoluminescent light emitting devices were manufactured with use of the nanostructured carbon films as cold cathodes. A brightness of 1000 cd/m² was achieved at operational voltage of about 250 V.