ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the application of carbon nanotubes (CNT) as field emission electron sources. After an introduction of the basics of field emission and the main parameters driving the quality of a field emitter, the possible configurations of CNT field emitters are discussed. Potential applications of CNT field emitters are then developed, with particular attention to the promising market of field emitter displays (FED) and the development of CNT cold cathodes for x-ray tubes.