Advances have been made in the development of carbon nanotube field emission displays. We fabricated a 25 inch diagonal, full color RGB, video display using standard screen printing techniques. The pixel pitch is compatible with an approximately 90 inch diagonal HDTV display and the fabrication processes are scalable to large area displays.

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Tests were performed on FEPET, Inc. carbon thin film cathodes to characterize lifetime, resistance to environmental conditions, and performance stability. The cathodes were found to exhibit half lifetimes on the order of 7000 h in sealed glass envelopes. Operation in oxygen and water were found to degrade the cathode performance severely. Xenon had no effect on the cathode lifetime or stability, demonstrating its resistance to ion sputtering. During characterization in vacuum systems, initial turn on was quick and stable. Carbon thin films are suitable cathode materials for display, microelectronic, and ion propulsion uses.

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We present the results of tests measuring the life of carbon cold cathodes and determining what conditions limit the life of the cathode. Cathode life and stability are important for a broad range of applications, including displays, electron sources for satellite thrusters, x-ray tubes and microwave devices. Cathodes were tested in vacuum chambers using different gas environments as well as in sealed and gettered glass envelopes. We measured emission current half-lives of 10,000 - 20,000 hours or more in sealed display devices, depending on operating conditions. The presence of a significant oxygen or water partial pressure degrades the life of the cathode. After removing the gases the decay rate was restored to near the original value. A similar partial pressure of hydrogen gas has little or no effect on the life of the cathode. Initial results of operation in a xenon environment indicate carbon cold cathodes are much more robust compared to microtip cathodes. These results will be discussed with respect to the various applications considered for carbon cold cathodes.