Field Emission and Radial Distribution Function Studies of Fractal-like Amorphous Carbon Nanotips

• Main Authors: Lebrón-Colón M, Meador MA, Solá F, Biaggi-Labiosa A, Fonseca LF, Resto O
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2009-01-01
• Series: Nanoscale Research Letters
• Subjects: Carbon nanotips; Graphite-like a-C; EELS; EFED; Field emission
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11671-009-9270-5

<p>Abstract</p> <p>The short-range order of individual fractal-like amorphous carbon nanotips was investigated by means of energy-filtered electron diffraction in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The nanostructures were grown in porous silicon substrates in situ within the TEM by the electron beam-induced deposition method. The structure factor<it>S</it>(<it>k</it>) and the reduced radial distribution function<it>G</it>(<it>r</it>) were calculated. From these calculations a bond angle of 124&#176; was obtained which suggests a distorted graphitic structure. Field emission was obtained from individual nanostructures using two micromanipulators with sub-nanometer positioning resolution. A theoretical three-stage model that accounts for the geometry of the nanostructures provides a value for the field enhancement factor close to the one obtained experimentally from the Fowler-Nordheim law.</p>