Field emission characteristics of carbon nanotubes under residual gases

The field degradation of carbon nanotube field emitters in diode emission at constant current was demonstrated to be highly dependent upon the presence of residual gases at partial pressures. Upon exposure to a higher pressure of oxygen containing gases, for example, $O_2$ and CO increased the voltage. Those gases give rise to chemical etching to CNTs emitters. On the contrary, $CH_4$ affected the emission properties in the opposite direction as decreasing the voltage which was probably attributed to the introduction of adsorbate tunneling states. The mixed gas may cause a combined effect of both adsorbate tunneling states and CNT etching.