High current density nanofilament cathodes for microwave amplifiers

The fabrication of high current density nanofilament cathodes for microwave amplifiers was discussed. Metallic nanowires grown on silicon wafers and carbon nanotubes/nanofibers grown by catalytic plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) were the two types of nanofilament arrays analyzed as cathodes materials. It was observed that the arrays of 5.8 μm height and 50 nm diameter carbon nanotubes exhibited geometrical enhancement factor of 240+-7.5%. The results show that carbon nanotubes/nanofibers arrays are best suited for nanofilament cathodes.

Encapsluation of Co and Pd multi-metal nanowires inside multiwalled carbon nanotubes by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition

We report the synthesis of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) encapsulated with Co/Pd magnetic and nonmagnetic multi-metal nanowires using Co and Pd thin-layers deposited on Si substrate by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition using a bias-enhanced growth method. Detailed structural and compositional investigations of these metal nanowires inside MWCNTs were carried out by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy to elucidate the growth mechanisms. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed that MWCNTs were encapsulated with Co and Pd nanowires, separately, at the tube top and the bottom of Co nanowire, respectively. The face-centered-cubic (fcc) structure of Co nanowires was confirmed by a selected area diffraction pattern. We proposed a fruitful description for the encapsulating mechanisms of both Co and Pd multi-metal nanowires. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

GHz modulation of carbon nanotube cathodes for microwave amplifiers

Cold cathodes based on carbon nanotubes (CNs) allow to produce a pulsed/directly modulated electron beam. Using an array of vertically aligned CNs that exhibit an aspect ratio of around 200, we demonstrated the modulation of a 1.5 A/cm2 beam at 1.5 GHz frequency. Such CN cathodes are very promising for their use in a new generation of compact and low cost microwave amplifiers that operates between 30 and 100 GHz. ©2005 IEEE.