High emission performance of carbon nanotube paste field emitters fabricated by graphite filler

We demonstrated high field emission performance of carbon nanotube paste emitters, which were fabricated by using graphite filler, instead of commonly used metal or SiO₂, or SiC particle fillers. The emitter with an emission area of 0.7 mm in diameter shows a highest current of 8.4 mA before electrical arcing events, corresponding to a current density of 2.2 A/cm². The emitter shows a stable current of 1 mA for 20 h. It is suggested that the paste emitter could be a good candidate for x-ray source applications.