Realization of a carbon nanotube-based triode

We report the design and realization of a carbon nanotube-based integrated triode. Patterned Si/SiO 2 /Nb/Nb 2 O 5 multilayer was successfully realized by means of a photolithographic process. Such structure constitutes the patterned substrate of the successive Hot Filament Chemical Vapour Deposition (HFCVD) process. Selective growth of highly oriented SWCNT arrays was obtained in the predefined locations while survival of the entire structure was achieved. Field emission measurements of such materials were carried out both on a diode and in a triode configuration. Good and reproducible field emission behaviour has been observed in several realized structures. In order to validate the experimental data a first simulation of the behaviour of the integrated vacuum triode with a single field emission CNT was also simulated.