A prototype cylindrical fluorescent lamp based on carbon nanotube field emission

In this study, we grow carbon nanotube film directly on stainless wire by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD). We use the wire coated CNT film as cold cathode to assemble a fluorescent lamp and fully-sealed prototypes have been fabricated. The morphology of the as-grown CNT film was investigated by a SEM (JEOL JSM-5910). The I-E characteristic of the device was tested in a vacuum chamber at a pressure of 2 /spl times/ 10/sup -4/ Pa. The brightness of the lamp was measured by a photometer. Possible field emission mechanisms for the arrays and perspectives of the array applications are discussed. In addition, the laser beam process can be considered as an effective way to form stable and durable layers enriched with carbon nanotubes for different field electron emitters.