Influence of argon on field emission from CVD-grown in-plane single-walled carbon nanotube meshes

The influence of argon (Ar) on the growth of in-plane single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNTs) meshes using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was investigated in this study. The SWCNT samples were synthesized using a three-zone furnace (750°C–900°C–750°C) with a methane/hydrogen/argon mixture (total flow of 60 sccm). We verified that the use of argon influences the diameter distribution and the field emission properties of the resulting SWCNTs. The threshold voltage for electron emission was significantly decreased with higher argon concentration due to higher layer conductivity of the samples.