A New Triode Structure With a Carbon Nanotube Cathode

A new field-emission triode with a carbon nanotube (CNT) cathode is proposed in this paper. This triode consists of three glass plates: the first one represents the cathode plate, which has an array of holes to which the CNTs are applied by printing; the second plate is mounted below the cathode plate and contains the gate electrodes; and the third one is the anode. The electric field generated by the anode voltage penetrates into the CNT cathode area, which allows a rather low gate voltage to modulate the field-emission current. Simulation and experimental results show the modulation feasibility of this kind of triode structure.