DIRECT GROWTH OF MULTI-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES ON SHARP TIPS FOR ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

Abstract

The favorable electron optical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been studied in detail, but the application to electron sources has been limited by the complexity of the fabrication process. We report the use of Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) for the direct deposition of multi-walled CNTs onto the apex of sharply etched tungsten tips, aligned to the vertical axis of the tips. We show that these emitters have excellent stability.