Introduction to Field Emission from Carbon Based Nanostructures

This book presents a detailed theoretical and experimental overview of electron field emission phenomena from carbon-based nanostructures and discusses many promising applications in different areas of technology. Electron emission from carbon nanostructures has become a very important field of research owing primarily to its scope of application in, e.g., new display technology, as well as its potential to provide deep insight into materials surfaces. Beginning with basic introductions to nanoscience, nanostructures, and the fundamental theories of field-assisted electron emission, the book then looks at important aspects of instrumentation and measurement techniques of field emission phenomena. Subsequent chapters are devoted to looking at the various physical aspects of carbon as one of the most efficient field emitters, as well as the effect of electron field emission under the application of microwave fields. The final chapter is devoted to the different fields of applications benefitting greatly from field emission display technology, including various microscopic imaging techniques, sensors, nanolithography, mass spectrometers, and gas lasers. This book is written so that students, researchers, and engineers involved in materials science with carbon-based nanotechnology will find it both useful and understandable.