The Viability of Nanocluster Carbon-Based Field Emitter Arrays for the Field Emission Electrical Propulsion System

The current work focuses on creating and demonstrating the viability of an indigenous capability to work on all aspects of Field Emission Electrical Propulsion (FEEP) technology, from the development of novel nanocarbon-based field emitter for field emission technology to the creation of a growth and characterization facility. The establishment of a complete, locally designed and developed cathodic arc system for the growth of amorphous and nanocarbon films at room temperature was the first significant result. The equipment includes provisions for the growth such as varying deposition ion energies, gas environments, throw distances, and various partial pressures of gas compositions, as well as arc voltage and arc current. This is one of the first indigenous system with provision for the growth of nanocarbons over 200 mm diameter substrates, which can be used to produce a range of high temperature grown materials at low temperatures with the same properties. The systematic work was carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of patterning or creation of periodic metal nanostructures using Nano Sphere Lithography, without masks over large areas at a sub optimal cost. This led to the creation of flat metal triangular pattern of area 0.03 square microns. This was used as a template to grow enhanced electron for the development of periodic metal nanostructures, as a base for the deposition of room temperature nanocarbon on patterned substrates for a wide range of applications including field emitters.