Stability of Field Emission from a Single Carbon Nanotube

Abstract

It has been found experimentally that the field emission current passing through a single multiwall carbon nanotube heats it up and generates a thermionic component. The nanotube is heated by the Joule heat that releases on its series resistance, through which the current passes. From the solution to the heat conduction equation, the overheating temperature of the emitting end has been estimated. Conditions for field emission stability and for the onset of thermal field emission have been found.