Field emission from carbon nanotubes: the first five years

Carbon nanotubes, a novel form of carbon discovered in 1991, have been rapi dly recognized as one of the most promising electron field emitters ever si nce the first emission experiments reported in 1995. Their potential as emi tters in various devices has been amply demonstrated during the last five y ears, and recent developments of production techniques are likely to trigge r future applications. This report reviews the state of the art of the curr ent research on the electron field emission properties of carbon nanotubes and surveys their ability to provide single or multiple electron sources. ( C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.