A Core-Shell MWCNT-Pt Nanowire Electron Source with Anomalously Long-Term Stable Field Emission

A hybrid core-shell structured nanowire is proposed for a long-term stable electron source based on an isolated platinum/multi-walled carbon nanotube (Pt/MWCNT). This hybrid nanowire is prepared by growing a Pt shell on a metallic MWCNT through a field-emission-induced deposition (FEID) method. An in situ field emission (FE) platform was constructed inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with two nanorobotic manipulators (NRMs) for the preparation and testing of the hybrid nanowire. An in situ fatigue test was conducted with high current intensity (500 nA) to show the influence of the Pt shell. Compared with the pristine bare MWCNT, our hybrid-nanowire-based electron source has a lifetime of hundreds of times longer and can work continuously for up to 48 h under relatively high pressure (3.6×10-3 Pa) without having an apparent change in its structure or emission currents, demonstrating good stability and tolerance to poor working conditions. The anomalous long-term stability is attributed mainly to the shielding of oxygen by Pt from the carbon shells and less heating due to the work function lowering by Pt.