Electron field emission from transparent multiwalled carbon nanotube sheets for inverted field emission displays

Strong, conducting, transparent carbon nanotube sheets were prepared by solid-state draw from well-ordered, aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) forests [Zhang et al., 2005] [1]. Study of electron field emission from such transparent MWCNT sheets shows threshold fields of less than 0.5 V/μm with current densities high enough for display applications. Step-like field emission current increase and hysteresis behavior in I-V curves has been observed. The origin of such behavior is discussed in terms of mechanical rearrangement of the nanotube network in high electric field. Studied MWCNT transparent sheet field emission cathodes have several advantages when used as multi-functional electrodes. They are high current, high stability, transparent, and flexible field emission sources and can be used in an inverted geometry, with cathode being in front of the light emitting plate. At the same time transparent CNT sheets may serve as a transparent conducting electrode for electrical connection and pixel addressing in field emission displays (FEDs). Also, these sheets can be used as an optical polarizer in FEDs.     

Homogeneous bilayer graphene film based flexible transparent conductor

Graphene is considered as a promising candidate to replace conventional transparent conductors due to its low opacity, high carrier mobility and flexible structure. Multi-layer graphene or stacked single layer graphenes have been investigated in the past but both have their drawbacks. The uniformity of multi-layer graphene is still questionable, and single layer graphene stacks require many transfer processes to achieve sufficiently low sheet resistance. In this work, bilayer graphene film grown with low pressure chemical vapor deposition was used as a transparent conductor for the first time. The technique was demonstrated to be highly efficient in fabricating a conductive and uniform transparent conductor compared to multi-layer or single layer graphene. Four transfers of bilayer graphene yielded a transparent conducting film with a sheet resistance of 180 Ω(□) at a transmittance of 83%. In addition, bilayer graphene films transferred onto the plastic substrate showed remarkable robustness against bending, with sheet resistance change less than 15% at 2.14% strain, a 20-fold improvement over commercial indium oxide films.     

Controlled growth of carbon nanotube-graphene hybrid materials for flexible and transparent conductors and electron field emitters

We report a versatile synthetic process based on rapid heating and cooling chemical vapor deposition for the growth of carbon nanotube (CNT)-graphene hybrid materials where the thickness of graphene and density of CNTs are properly controlled. Graphene films are demonstrated as an efficient barrier layer for preventing poisoning of iron nanoparticles, which catalyze the growth of CNTs on copper substrates. Based on this method, the opto-electronic and field emission properties of graphene integrated with CNTs can be remarkably tailored. A graphene film exhibits a sheet resistance of 2.15 kΩ sq(-1) with a transmittance of 85.6% (at 550 nm), while a CNT-graphene hybrid film shows an improved sheet resistance of 420 Ω sq(-1) with an optical transmittance of 72.9%. Moreover, CNT-graphene films are demonstrated as effective electron field emitters with low turn-on and threshold electric fields of 2.9 and 3.3 V μm(-1), respectively. The development of CNT-graphene films with a wide range of tunable properties presented in this study shows promising applications in flexible opto-electronic, energy, and sensor devices.     

All-carbon field emission device by direct synthesis of graphene and carbon nanotube

In this paper, an all carbon-based field emission device (FED) fabricated by graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is presented. Through the combination of highly conductive graphene and photolithographically patterned CNT, the resistivity of the interface is lowered and the FED performance is enhanced. FE measurements indicated that the fabricated all carbon-based FED demonstrated stable electron emission properties with uniform luminance.     

Highly robust and transparent flexible cover window films based on UV-curable polysilsesquioxane nano sol

Flexible cover window films based on the ultraviolet-curable polysilsesquioxane are prepared to have enhanced mechanical, optical properties, and bending performance. To figure out the factors determining those properties, post–treatment conditions are varied into the light source, temperature, and relative humidity. Then, the effect of such variables is examined in respect of surface hardness, yellow index (YI), and bending cycle reliability of flexible hard coating. Also, the effect of photoinitiator type in terms of their chemical structure is also investigated. Notably, the relative humidity and thermal treatment are more effective to enhance the mechanical properties rather than light exposure. Indeed, compared to that of reference condition, the cover windows treated with 99% relative humidity and thermal aging at 85°C exhibit improved surface hardness by 24.4 and 19.5%, respectively. However, only the relative humidity is rather effective to enhance the optical properties such as the YI by lowering to the most 2.6. The YI is also improved by varying the chemical structure of the photoinitiator. By virtue of post–treatment and a different photoinitiator, we could achieve flexible cover window films with bending reliability at bending radius of 3 mm for 100,000 cycles, showing good mechanical and optical properties simultaneously.     

Study and optimization of a flexible electrochromic device based on polyaniline

The synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) thin films was made onto commercially available  cm polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates. By depositing a gold frame previously to the electrochemical PANI synthesis, homogeneous electrochromic PANI layers were obtained. Complete flexible cells could then be built by using a transparent gel electrolyte and a simple PET/ITO counter-electrode. Branched poly(ethyleneimine) (BPEI)-H₃PO₄ and polymethylemethacrylate (PMMA)-PC-LiClO₄ were both tested as electrolytes, but only the latter led to a non-degrading system when the device undergoes several switching potential steps. This flexible, middle-scale and inexpensive device enabled to get a 18% transmission contrast at 780 nm within 3 min.     

Nanodiamod lateral device field emission diode fabricated by electron beam lithography

Nitrogen incorporated nanodiamond film is known to aid in promoting enhanced electron emission via the induced graphitic behavior both in the bulk material and also the surface of the film. Since electron emission current is inversely proportional to the cathode to anode inter-electrode distance; it is necessary to implement electron beam lithography (EBL) to obtain a small emission gap. To achieve high resolution from EBL, a thinner nanodiamond film is required. In this work, we fabricated lateral field emitters on a 0.65 µm nanodiamond film. The nanodiamond film was deposited onto a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate in CH₄/H₂/N₂ plasma ambient by microwave chemical vapor deposition. The SOI was prepared for diamond nucleation using mechanical abrasion and ultrasonication in nanodiamond powder. Electron beam lithography (EBL) was used to delineate a 10 emitter tipped diode with a 2 µm anode-to- anode emission gap.     

The production of a flexible electroluminescent device on polyethylene terephthalate films using transparent conducting carbon nanotube electrode

An inorganic electroluminescent (EL) device on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate and its properties were investigated. The transparent conducting film (TCF) made from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (CNT-TCF) was employed in the flexible EL device. CNT-TCF was formed by filtration of CNT solution and was transferred to the PET film. It was found that the brightness of the inorganic EL device was strongly dependent on the quality of the CNT composite films. After a 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane treatment of the PET substrate, CNTs uniformly were dispersed and showed a good adhesion to the substrate, and the resulting EL device showed better performance. The flexible EL device showed the brightness of 96.8 cd/m² at 28 kHz and 50 V.     

PVC透明软管的配方及生产工艺

选用折光率与PVC树脂相近的原料加工PVC透明软管,介绍了管的生产配方：PVC树脂（PVC－SG4或PVC－SG5）100份、增塑剂40－55份、热稳定剂1.5－3.5份、润滑剂0.1-1.0份及消色剂适量,针对透明度的要求,列举了具体配方实例,阐述了生产工艺流程及工艺条件的控制,并对生产过程中的异常现象进行了分析、解决。     

Patterned Zn-seeds and selective growth of ZnO nanowire arrays on transparent conductive substrate and their field emission characteristics

A method for the patterned growth of ZnO nanorods with better field emission properties is presented that combines nanoimprinting, electroplated Zn seeds and aqueous solution growth of ZnO. A patterned Zn layer over large area was prepared using the poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) template to pattern PMMA masking layer without residual layer. ZnO nanorods were selectively deposited on the Zn seeds instead of growing on the bare ITO regions due to the preferred growth on Zn seeds/ITO substrate. The diameter of ZnO nanorods was decided by the concentration of reactants of zinc nitrate and hexamethyltetramine (C₆H₁₂N₄) (0.025–0.1 M) at low temperature. This approach provides the capability of creating patterned 1D ZnO micro/nanopatterns at low temperature, ambient condition, and low cost with large area on flexible devices.     

Silver nanowire-based transparent,flexible, and conductive thin film

The fabrication of transparent, conductive, and uniform silver nanowire films using the scalable rod-coating technique is described in this study. Properties of the transparent conductive thin films are investigated, as well as the approaches to improve the performance of transparent silver nanowire electrodes. It is found that silver nanowires are oxidized during the coating process. Incubation in hydrogen chloride (HCl) vapor can eliminate oxidized surface, and consequently, reduce largely the resistivity of silver nanowire thin films. After HCl treatment, 175 Ω/sq and approximately 75% transmittance are achieved. The sheet resistivity drops remarkably with the rise of the film thickness or with the decrease of transparency. The thin film electrodes also demonstrated excellent flexible stability, showing < 2% resistance change after over 100 bending cycles.     

Highly transparent low resistance ATO/AgNWs/ATO flexible transparent conductive thin films

Indium-free flexible transparent conductive thin films (TCFs) composed of silver nanowire (AgNW) networks and Sb doped SnO₂ (ATO) layers were prepared on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. The ATO layers were deposited via radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The AgNWs were achieved via a modified polyol reduction method and embedded between the ATO layers. The effects of AgNW networks and ATO layers on electrical and optical properties of the ATO/AgNWs/ATO flexible tri-layer thin films are investigated. The ATO layers can improve the optical transmittance and reduce the resistivity of tri-layers, and the corresponding mechanisms are proposed. Typically, an ATO/AgNWs/ATO flexible tri-layers show a high figure of merit value (30.06 × 10^-3 Ω^-1) with a low sheet resistance of 7.1 Ω/sq. and a high transmittance of 85.7%. Meanwhile, the tri-layers present excellent mechanical flexibility, and the ATO layers acted as the protecting layers improve the adhesive and environmental stability at high temperature and humidity for the ATO/AgNWs/ATO flexible tri-layers. These results indicate that ATO/AgNWs/ATO flexible tri-layer thin films can be useful for the fabrication of wearable electronic devices.     

Work function tuning for flexible transparent electrodes based on functionalized metallic single walled carbon nanotubes

We present a method to control the work function of metallic carbon nanotube transparent electrodes by functionalization of the random network with metallic nanoparticles. Flexible functionalized electrodes with high transparency (～90%) can be obtained with work function values ranging from ～4.6 up to ～5.1 eV, depending on the nature of the nanoparticles. The work function values were obtained by comparative in situ Kelvin probe force microscopy under ultra high vacuum and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. Interestingly, by appropriate choice of the metal source for functionalization, work function engineering can lead to work function values higher or lower than that for pristine metallic nanotubes. This could be of great interest for adjusting the work function of transparent electrodes to active layers in many optoelectronics devices.     

Improved mechanical stability of indium zinc tin oxide based flexible transparent electrode through interlayer treatment

Due to the significant growth of the market for numerous flexible electronic devices, demand for mechanically stable indium zinc tin oxide (IZTO) based flexible transparent electrodes has recently expanded substantially. So, we have attempted to increase the mechanical stability of an IZTO based flexible transparent electrode by forming an ultrathin interlayer of an organic semiconductor polystyrene sulfonate doped polyaniline (PANI:PSS). According to the results of the systematic investigation, the PANI:PSS treated IZTO film can preserve 97.50% of its initial average transmittance (AVT) value (83.07%) after 20,000 bending cycles, but the bare IZTO film can retain only 89.00% of its initial AVT value (86.40%) after the same treatment. Furthermore, the PANI:PSS treatment has benefited in the reduction of IZTO film sheet resistance from 17.38 to 16.91 Ω/sq. Scanning electron microscopy images have indicated that the presence of a PANI:PSS interlayer on the IZTO film prevents the formation of fractures on the inorganic IZTO layer when mechanical stress is applied.     

柔性透明导电氧化物薄膜的制备及应用进展

柔性透明导电氧化物薄膜以其可挠曲、柔性好、质量轻等优点在柔性薄膜太阳能电池、有机发光二极管及汽车隔热膜等领域具有较好的应用前景。综述了透明导电氧化物(TCO)薄膜的种类、目前柔性透明导电氧化物薄膜的制备技术及优缺点,对柔性TCO薄膜在各个领域的应用和未来研究方向进行了展望：柔性透明导电氧化物兼具柔性、透明性和导电性,因柔性衬底大多不耐高温,应选择合适的衬底材料和制备方法,开发成本低、绿色环保、资源丰富、高性能的柔性TCO薄膜对提高光电子产业竞争力具有重要作用。     

A simplified all-polymer flexible electrochromic device

New all-polymeric simplified electrochromic devices have been prepared based in an intrinsically conductive polymer, poly(ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT). In these devices PEDOT acts simultaneously as electrochromic layer and current collector layer simplifying the construction of the classic devices from seven to five layers. The device presents a chromatic contrast in all the visible range with a maximum at 650 nm (ΔT=0.15) between 0 and 3 V. Representative bleaching and coloring times are 20 and 16 s, respectively, for  cm devices. The originality of this work is that advanced electrochromic devices can be constructed using commercially available materials and using simple experimental methods.     

聚氯乙烯透明增强软管专用料的研制

通过对热稳定体系、润滑体系和增塑体系的精心设计和优化试验 ,并通过工业规模的成型加工试验和配方调整 ,研制成功了热稳定性好、易于加工、透明度高和强度高的PVC透明增强软管专用料     

Growth of a three-dimensional complex carbon nanoneedle electron emitter for fabrication of field emission device

A three-dimensional complex carbon nanoneedle electron emitter film with high emission current density at low electric field has been developed by a direct current plasma chemical vapor deposition system. Sample grown on stainless wire substrate pretreated with the mixing powders of diamond and molybdenum exhibited novel film morphology. The scanning electron microscopy image taken from this film indicated a three-dimensional complex nanostructure emitter, the center of which was a carbon nanoneedle, and many small carbon nanowalls growing from the needle. The density of unique nanostructure emitters was about 5 × 10⁷/cm². The I–V characteristic addressed an emission current density of 251 mA/cm² at the electric field of 2.2 V/μm, and the field emission current was stable, making it possibly suitable for developing field emission device.     

An under-gate triode structure field emission display with carbon nanotube emitters

A new triode structure for field emission displays based on carbon nanotube emitters is demonstrated. In this structure, gate electrodes are located underneath the cathode electrodes with an in-between insulating layer, a so-called under-gate type triode structure. Although the gate is on the opposite side of the anode with respect to the cathode electrodes, modulation of electron emission from the carbon nanotube emitters by the gate voltage is confirmed. The simple structure and fabrication process may lead to practical applications for the under-gate triode type structure.     

Superior integrated field emission cathode with ultralow turn-on field and high stability based on SiC nanocone arrays

Low turn-on field (E_to) and stable electron emission are two of key parameters for reliable application of field emission (FE) cathodes. In the present work, we developed a novel high-performance integrated field emission cathode based on well-aligned SiC nanocone arrays via an electrochemical etching approach. The etched SiC nanocone emitters and the underlying remaining SiC wafer are designed into a single-crystalline integrated architecture without interfaces, which favors cathodes with a sturdy configuration to resist Joule heat during long period electron emission process and structural failure caused by the existed strong electrostatic forces. Accordingly, the E_to of the integrated SiC cathode is reduced to 0.32 V/μm, which is the lowest value among all the previously reported SiC nanostructured emitters. In addition, the integrated cathode presented superior stability with an electron emission fluctuation of 3.3% over 10 h. This work provides a new perspective for designing and fabricating advanced FE cathodes for further promising applications in harsh working conditions with high performance.