Multiscale model of heat dissipation mechanisms during field emission from carbon nanotube fibers

Journal Article · Mon Jan 18 04:00:00 EST 2016 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4940390· OSTI ID:22492702

Cahay, M.; Zhu, W. ^[1]; Fairchild, S. ^[2]; Murray, P. T.; Back, T. C. ^[3]; Gruen, G. J. ^[3]

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1. Spintronics and Vacuum Nanoelectronics Laboratory, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221 (United States)
2. Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, WPAFB, Ohio 45433 (United States)
3. Research Institute, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio 45469-0170 (United States)

A multiscale model of field emission (FE) from carbon nanotube fibers (CNFs) is developed, which takes into account Joule heating within the fiber and radiative cooling and the Nottingham effect at the tip of the individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the array located at the fiber tip. The model predicts the fraction of CNTs being destroyed as a function of the applied external electric field and reproduces many experimental features observed in some recently investigated CNFs, such as order of magnitude of the emission current (mA range), low turn on electric field (fraction of V/μm), deviation from pure Fowler-Nordheim behavior at large applied electric field, hysteresis of the FE characteristics, and a spatial variation of the temperature along the CNF axis with a maximum close to its tip of a few hundred  °C.

• OSTI ID: 22492702
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 108; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
CARBON FIBERS
CARBON NANOTUBES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ENERGY LOSSES
FIELD EMISSION
HEAT TRANSFER
JOULE HEATING
RADIATIVE COOLING
THERMAL DIFFUSIVITY