Anodic aluminum oxide membrane bonded on a silicon wafer for carbon nanotube field emitter arrays

We have developed a method to bond a very thin anodic aluminum oxide membrane (400nm thick) on a Si wafer. Furthermore, we were able to fabricate well-ordered carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays on the membrane at a very high temperature—above 1000°C—without deformation. The CNT arrays fabricated at 800°C exhibited long-term stability and uniform emission. Their current density was higher than 1mA∕cm2; such a density might be required for flat panel displays. When the tip of the CNTs was modified from an open shape to a closed shape by exposure to acetylene gas, the turn-on voltage decreased significantly and the enhancement factor increased significantly.