Carbon nanotube array surface patterning device and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a carbon nanotube array surface patterning device and a carbon nanotube array surface patterning method. The carbon nanotube array surface patterning device comprises a rack; the objective table is arranged on the rack, and one side of the objective table is used for bearing a substrate; the etching electrode is arranged on the rack and faces one side of the objective table, and the etching electrode is used for being in contact with or close to a part of the carbon nanotube array on the substrate and ablating the corresponding part of the carbon nanotube array so as to construct a plurality of carbon nanotube array edges; the adjusting device is at least connected with one of the objective table and the etching electrode so as to adjust the relative position of the etching electrode and the objective table; and a control system. According to the surface patterning device for the carbon nanotube array, the carbon nanotube array is patterned by etching the electrode, so that the surface patterning device can be suitable for surface patterning of carbon nanotube arrays made of different materials, pollution caused by chemicals during photoetching or metal vapor during laser ablation can be avoided, and the surface patterning quality of the carbon nanotube array is improved. And the process difficulty and the patterning cost are greatly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of carbon nanotube array surface patterning, and in particular relates to a carbon nanotube array surface patterning device and method. Background Art

[0002] Electron beam and X-ray sources are widely used in industrial inspection, scientific instruments, medical imaging and other fields. The cathode is a component that generates electrons, and the preparation of the cathode is one of the core technologies of the ray source. The field emission cathode is a cathode that can start quickly and has extremely low thermal power consumption. The carbon nanotube cathode is a common form of field emission cathode. By preparing sparsely distributed carbon nanotubes or patterned carbon nanotube arrays on an emitter substrate, multiple field emission tips are constructed. Under the action of an external electric field, the carbon nanotube tips emit electrons outward based on the principle of field emission.

[0003] In order to achieve the patterning of carbon nanotubes, the photolithography process is currently mainly used. However, the photolithography process is complicated and the equipment is expensive. More importantly, due to the use of photolithography, the cathode substrate can only use materials that are maturely used in semiconductor devices such as silicon and silicon carbide, which greatly limits the process temperature and actual use temperature for further integration. After high-temperature processes or excessively high operating temperatures, the carbon nanotube cathode will fail. In addition, various chemicals are used in the photolithography process, and the residues of the chemicals will have a significant impact on the cathode emission stability and the cleanliness of the device.

[0004] In this regard, patent application CN108933068A discloses a method for patterning a field emission cathode of nanomaterials. The application specifically discloses that laser etching can remove carbon nanotubes, but most lasers will directly bombard the substrate, so laser etching will damage the substrate, causing metal vapor or metal particle contamination, and even forming accumulation defects. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a carbon nanotube array surface patterning device and method to solve the problems in the prior art that the carbon nanotube array surface patterning process is complicated, easily causes damage and pollution to the cathode, affects the stability of the cathode, and limits the process temperature and operating temperature of the cathode.

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention provides a carbon nanotube array surface patterning device for patterning a carbon nanotube array surface on a substrate, the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device comprising: frame; A stage, disposed on the frame, one side of the stage being used for carrying the substrate; An etching electrode is disposed on the frame and disposed toward one side of the stage, the etching electrode being used to contact or approach a portion of the carbon nanotube array on the substrate and ablate a corresponding portion of the carbon nanotube array to construct a plurality of carbon nanotube array edges; An adjusting device, connected to at least one of the stage or the etching electrode, to adjust the relative position of the etching electrode and the stage; A control system is connected to the regulating device to control the operation of the regulating device.

[0007] Furthermore, the etching electrode is formed into a needle tip shape extending toward one side of the stage.

[0008] Furthermore, the etching electrode comprises: A substrate, one side of the substrate is arranged toward one side of the stage; The electrode body is formed as a protruding pattern arranged on one side of the substrate.

[0009] Furthermore, the adjusting device comprises: A first adjustment component, connected to the etching electrode, for adjusting the displacement of the etching electrode in a first direction, wherein the first direction is a direction perpendicular to a surface of one side of the stage; A driving device is electrically connected to the first adjusting component to provide a driving force for the first adjusting component.

[0010] Furthermore, the adjusting device further comprises: A second adjustment component is connected to the worktable to adjust the displacement of the worktable in a second direction and a third direction, wherein the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to each other and respectively perpendicular to the first direction, and the drive device is electrically connected to the second adjustment component to provide a driving force for the second adjustment component.

[0011] Furthermore, the adjusting device comprises: A third adjustment component connected to the stage to adjust the displacement of the stage in a first direction, wherein the first direction is a direction perpendicular to a surface of one side of the stage; A driving device is electrically connected to the third adjusting component to provide driving force for the third adjusting component.

[0012] Furthermore, the adjusting device further comprises: A fourth adjustment component is connected to the etching electrode to adjust the displacement of the etching electrode in a second direction and a third direction, wherein the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to each other and respectively perpendicular to the first direction, and the driving device is electrically connected to the fourth adjustment component to provide a driving force for the fourth adjustment component.

[0013] Furthermore, the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes: A power supply system is electrically connected to the adjusting device, the etching electrode, and the control system, and is electrically connected to the stage and one of the substrates on the stage, so as to supply power to the adjusting device, the etching electrode, the control system, and the substrate on the stage, respectively.

[0014] Furthermore, the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes: A current sensor is connected to the power supply system to measure the magnitude of the current flowing from the power supply system to the etching electrode.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for patterning the surface of a carbon nanotube array. Based on the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device described in the above embodiment, the method comprises the following steps: Providing a substrate on which a carbon nanotube array is grown, and placing the substrate on a stage; An operating control system wherein the adjusting device adjusts the etching electrode and / or the stage to a suitable position so that the etching electrode approaches or is close to the carbon nanotube array; The etching electrode and the stage are powered on respectively to ablate a portion of the carbon nanotube array on the substrate to construct a plurality of carbon nanotube array edges.

[0016] The carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to the surface patterning of carbon nanotube arrays of different materials by etching electrodes, and can avoid contamination caused by chemicals during photolithography or metal vapor during laser ablation, thereby greatly reducing the process difficulty and patterning cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is another schematic diagram of a carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of ablating a carbon nanotube array by a carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a carbon nanotube array after ablating the carbon nanotube array by the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is an unpatterned carbon nanotube cathode; Figure 6 is a patterned carbon nanotube cathode; Figure 7 is a flow chart of a method for patterning a carbon nanotube array surface according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 A surface of a field emission cathode processed by the carbon nanotube array surface patterning method according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 9 This is another surface of a field emission cathode processed by the method for patterning the surface of a carbon nanotube array according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numerals

[0018] Carbon nanotube array surface patterning device 100; Stage 20; Etching electrode 30; needle-shaped etching electrode 31; mold-shaped etching electrode 32; substrate 321; electrode body 322; Adjustment device 40; first adjustment component 41; probe stage 411; probe seat 412; precision adjustment displacement stage 413; second adjustment component 42; drive device 43; Control system 50; Power supply system 60; Current sensor 70; Microscope 80; Carbon nanotube cathode 10; carbon nanotube array 1; substrate 2; area A to be ablated; ablated area B; reserved area C. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present invention are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the term "and / or" in the specification and claims means at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship.

[0021] Combine the following Figures 1 to 6 , the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device provided by the embodiment of the present invention is described in detail through specific embodiments and application scenarios.

[0022] In addition, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0023] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device 100 includes a frame (not shown), a stage 20, an etching electrode 30 (including Figure 1 The needle-shaped etched electrode 31 and Figure 2 The carbon nanotube array surface patterning device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is used to Figure 3 The carbon nanotube array 1 located in the to-be-ablated area A is patterned to obtain Figure 4 Ablated area B is shown.

[0024] Specifically, the stage 20 is arranged on the frame, and one side of the stage 20 is used to support the substrate 2; the etching electrode 30 is arranged on the frame and is arranged toward the side of the stage 20, and the etching electrode 30 is used to contact or approach a portion of the carbon nanotube array 1 on the substrate 2 and ablate the corresponding portion of the carbon nanotube array 1 to construct a plurality of carbon nanotube array 1 edges; the adjustment device 40 is connected to at least one of the stage 20 or the etching electrode 30 to adjust the relative position of the etching electrode 30 and the stage 20; the control system 50 is connected to the adjustment device 40 to control the operation of the adjustment device 40.

[0025] That is, the frame is used to support structures such as the stage 20 and the etching electrode 30. The adjusting device 40 can adjust the position of the stage 20 by connecting to the stage 20, and can also adjust the position of the etching electrode 30 by connecting to the etching electrode 30, so as to facilitate the adjustment of the relative position of the etching electrode 30 and the stage 20.

[0026] Specifically, the carbon nanotube cathode 10 is a type of field emission cathode. The emission performance of the carbon nanotube cathode 10 is closely related to the electric field at the tip of the carbon nanotube. For a densely grown carbon nanotube array 1, such as Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , due to the electric field shielding effect between carbon nanotubes, the actual emission performance of the carbon nanotube cathode 10 is very weak. Therefore, in order to improve the emission performance of the carbon nanotube cathode 10, it is necessary to use the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device 100 of the embodiment of the present invention to construct the following Figure 6 The carbon nanoedge is shown.

[0027] First, if Figure 1 to Figure 2 As shown, the substrate 2 with the carbon nanotube array 1 is placed on the stage 20, and the relative position of the etching electrode 30 and the stage 20 is adjusted by the adjusting device 40, so that the etching electrode 30 is close to or near the corresponding carbon nanotube. Then, the etching electrode 30 and the stage 20 are powered on respectively, so as to selectively remove part of the carbon nanotube array 1 without leaving any trace, construct a plurality of carbon nanotube edges, realize the patterning of the carbon nanotubes, and improve the emission performance of the carbon nanotube cathode 10.

[0028] Specifically, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a substrate with carbon nanotubes grown thereon is placed on the stage 20, and the control system 50 is operated, and the adjusting device 40 drives the etching electrode 30 and / or the stage 20 to move to an appropriate position, and the etching electrode 30 contacts the carbon nanotubes and bends the carbon nanotubes, thereby increasing the contact area between the etching electrode 30 and the carbon nanotubes. Direct current is applied to both ends of the etching electrode 30 and the carbon nanotube substrate 2, respectively. When the current flows through the carbon nanotubes, the carbon nanotubes heat up rapidly and are oxidized into carbon dioxide in an oxidizing atmosphere, thereby achieving traceless removal of the carbon nanotubes, constructing multiple carbon nanotube edges, and achieving patterning of the carbon nanotubes. After the operation is completed, the control system 50 is operated, and the adjusting device 40 drives the etching electrode 30 and / or the stage 20 to move to the initial position.

[0029] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a substrate on which carbon nanotubes are grown is placed on a stage 20, and the control system 50 is operated, and the regulating device 40 drives the etching electrode 30 and / or the stage 20 to move to an appropriate position, and a certain gap is maintained between the etching electrode 30 and the carbon nanotubes. An external high-voltage power supply or a capacitor energy storage cold welding power supply is used to apply pulsed high voltage to the etching electrode 30 and the substrate 2 of the carbon nanotubes, respectively, so as to form a high-voltage electric field at the tip of the carbon nanotubes to achieve discharge ionization. The thermal effect and ion bombardment effect during the discharge process achieve traceless removal of the carbon nanotubes. After the end, the control system 50 is operated to control the etching electrode 30 and / or the stage 20 to move to the initial position.

[0030] In summary, the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention has two application modes. When the etching electrode 30 contacts the carbon nanotubes to remove the carbon nanotubes, a relatively low voltage can be used to reduce the thermal damage to the etching electrode 30 and extend the service life; when a non-contact discharge method is used to remove the carbon nanotubes, a higher voltage drive is required to fully utilize the field strength effect of the carbon nanotube material itself to induce discharge. The pulse width, cycle and current of the discharge can be adjusted according to demand, and it has better process adaptability. In addition, the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can pattern carbon nanotubes of different substrate 2 materials, is not limited by the properties of carbon nanotubes, has a wider range of applications, and can prepare a carbon nanotube cathode 10 that can withstand higher temperatures.

[0031] Therefore, the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can pattern the carbon nanotube array 1 by etching the electrode 30, which can be suitable for patterning carbon nanotube arrays 1 of different materials, and can avoid contamination caused by chemicals during photolithography or metal vapor during laser ablation, thereby greatly reducing the process difficulty and patterning cost.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the etching electrode 30 is formed in a needle tip shape extending toward one side of the stage 20 .

[0033] Specifically, a tungsten needle can be selected as the etching electrode 30 (i.e., the needle-shaped etching electrode 31). Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, when the needle-shaped etching electrode 31 approaches or is close to the corresponding carbon nanotube array 1, the needle-shaped etching electrode 31 "scans" the surface of the carbon nanotube array 1 and discharges and burns the position that needs to be removed. The etching electrode 30 of this structure can adjust the "scanning trajectory" according to the programming of the control system 50 to achieve patterning of different shapes with high flexibility.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 As shown, the etching electrode 30 includes a substrate 321 and an electrode body 322. Specifically, one side of the substrate 321 is disposed toward one side of the stage 20, and the electrode body 322 is formed as a convex pattern disposed on one side of the substrate 321.

[0035] In other words, the carbon nanotube array 1 is discharged and ablated using a pre-patterned mold-shaped etching electrode 32, and the gas generated after ablating the carbon nanotubes evaporates into the air, achieving one-time printing patterning. The mold-shaped etching electrode 32 has a long service life, a good patterning speed, and a high consistency.

[0036] According to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the adjusting device 40 includes a first adjusting component 41 and a driving device 43 .

[0037] Specifically, the first adjustment component 41 is connected to the etching electrode 30 to adjust the displacement of the etching electrode 30 in a first direction, wherein the first direction is a direction perpendicular to a surface of one side of the stage 20 ; the driving device 43 is electrically connected to the first adjustment component 41 to provide driving force for the first adjustment component 41 .

[0038] Alternatively, if Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first adjustment component 41 includes a probe station 411, a probe seat 412 and a precision adjustment displacement stage 413, and the precision adjustment displacement stage 413 is used to adjust the displacement of the etching electrode 30 in the Z direction (the first direction, i.e., the vertical direction), wherein the probe seat 412 is connected to the etching electrode 30, the probe station 411 connects the probe seat 412 and the precision adjustment displacement stage 413, and the driving device 43 drives the precision adjustment displacement stage 413 to drive the etching electrode 30 to move in the Z direction. The driving device 43 can be a driving motor, and the precision adjustment displacement stage 413 can be a pneumatic device. This type of adjustment device 40 is suitable for mold-shaped etching electrodes 32.

[0039] Furthermore, the adjustment device 40 also includes a second adjustment component 42, which is connected to the worktable 20 to adjust the displacement of the worktable 20 in the second direction (X direction) and the third direction (Y direction), that is, to drive the worktable 20 to move in the horizontal plane, wherein the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to each other and respectively perpendicular to the first direction, and the driving device 43 is electrically connected to the second adjustment component 42 to provide driving force for the second adjustment component 42.

[0040] The coordinated use of the first adjustment component 41 and the second adjustment component 42 can achieve precise patterning of the carbon nanotube array 1 , and the operation is convenient, and is applicable to both the needle-shaped etching electrode 31 and the mold-shaped etching electrode 32 .

[0041] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the adjusting device 40 includes a third adjusting component (not shown) and a driving device (not shown).

[0042] Specifically, the third adjustment component is connected to the stage 20 for adjusting the displacement of the stage 20 in a first direction, wherein the first direction is a direction perpendicular to a surface of one side of the stage 20; the drive device is electrically connected to the third adjustment component to provide a driving force for the third adjustment component.

[0043] Preferably, the adjusting device 40 also includes a fourth adjusting component (not shown), which is connected to the etching electrode 30 for adjusting the displacement of the etching electrode 30 in the second direction and the third direction, wherein the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to each other and respectively perpendicular to the first direction, and the driving device is electrically connected to the fourth adjusting component to provide driving force for the fourth adjusting component.

[0044] That is, the adjusting device 40 can also achieve the position alignment between the carbon nanotube array 1 and the etching electrode 30 by adjusting the stage 20 in the Z direction and adjusting the etching electrode 30 in the X and Y directions.

[0045] In addition, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the adjustment device 40 can also adjust the etching electrode 30 or the stage 20 separately in the three directions of XYZ without adjusting another structure (the stage 20 or the etching electrode 30) to achieve the position alignment of the carbon nanotube array 1 and the etching electrode 30, and the adjustment method is not limited to this.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes a power supply system 60, which is electrically connected to the adjustment device 40, the etching electrode 30, and the control system 50, respectively, and is electrically connected to the stage 20 and one of the substrate 2 located on the stage 20, so as to supply power to the adjustment device 40, the etching electrode 30, the control system 50, and the substrate 2 on the stage 20, respectively. Further, the power supply system 60 may include a high-voltage power supply, a voltage energy storage cold welding power supply, or a pulse power supply, etc. It should be noted that the power supply electrode in the power supply system 60 may be directly connected to the substrate 2 of the carbon nanotube, or may be indirectly connected to the substrate 2 of the carbon nanotube through the stage 20.

[0047] Furthermore, if Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device 100 further includes a current sensor 70, which is connected to the power system 60 to measure the current flowing from the power system 60 to the etching electrode 30. The current sensor 70 uses weak current detection to monitor the discharge current. By monitoring the discharge current, it can be determined whether the spacing between the needle-shaped etching electrode 31 or the mold-shaped etching electrode 32 is reasonable, so as to further adjust the adjustment device 40 to achieve precise adjustment.

[0048] Optionally, the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device 100 further includes a microscope 80 , which is disposed adjacent to the stage 20 and the etching electrode 30 and connected to the control system 50 . The microscope 80 is used to observe or detect the carbon nanotubes on the substrate 2 .

[0049] According to the carbon nanotube array surface patterning method of the second embodiment of the present invention, based on the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device 100 of the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, the method comprises the following steps: Step S10, providing a substrate 2 on which the carbon nanotube array 1 is grown, and placing the substrate 2 on a stage 20; Step S20, operating the control system 50, the adjusting device 40 adjusts the etching electrode 30 and / or the stage 20 to a proper position so that the etching electrode 30 is close to or near the carbon nanotube array 1; Step S30 , energizing the etching electrode 30 and the stage 20 to ablate a portion of the carbon nanotube array 1 on the substrate 2 , thereby constructing a plurality of edges of the carbon nanotube array 1 .

[0050] Specifically, before patterning the carbon nanotube array 1, the carbon nanotube array 1 is grown on the substrate 2, the substrate 2 with the carbon nanotube array 1 is placed on the stage 20, the substrate 2 and the etching electrode 30 are connected to a power source, and the control system 50 controls the adjustment device 40 to adjust the etching electrode 30 and / or the stage 20 to the appropriate position, and sets the power supply parameters to achieve ablation of the carbon nanotubes.

[0051] Among them, in order to ensure the removal effect of carbon nanotubes, it is necessary to control the discharge atmosphere. For example, a gas cover can be set on the substrate 2 on which the carbon nanotube array 1 is grown and the etching electrode 30, or a gas cover can be set on the entire device to provide an atmosphere of pure oxygen or oxygen / argon mixed gas, and maintain the working gas pressure range between 1E-2 Pa and 1E5 Pa.

[0052] In one embodiment of the present invention, the width of the needle-shaped etching electrode 31 (or the electrode body 322 of the mold-shaped etching electrode 32) should be consistent with the patterned carbon nanotube array 11 to be removed, generally 10μm~100μm. At room temperature, the resistivity of carbon nanotubes is usually between 10^-6Ω·m and 10^-7 Ω·m. The carbon tube array usually grown uses a multi-walled tube with a typical tube diameter of 2nm-100nm and a length of 10μm~50μm. The resistance of a single carbon nanotube is very large, and Joule heat ablation can be achieved without too high a current. However, in order to improve the removal efficiency, the etching electrode 30 will remove multiple carbon nanotubes at the same time. The area of ​​the corresponding carbon nanotube removed in a single time is closely related to the working area of ​​the etching electrode 30. Depending on the area removed at the same time, the working current is between 1A-1000A. Further, in order to reduce damage to the substrate 2, when the non-contact discharge mode is adopted, the pulse width of the pulse voltage is 0.1us~10us.

[0053] Embodiment 1: Patterning of a carbon nanotube array 1 with a diameter of 2 nm and a length of 10 μm grown on a substrate 1. According to the embodiment of the present invention, a mold-shaped etching electrode 32 is used, and the electrode body 322 of the mold-shaped etching electrode 32 is a concentric circle, and the width of the electrode body 322 is 10 μm. The substrate 2 is placed on the stage 20, and the substrate 2 is connected to the positive electrode of the pulse power supply, and the mold-shaped etching electrode 32 is connected to the negative electrode of the pulse power supply. The working current of the pulse power supply is 1A, and the pulse voltage width is 0.1us. The etching electrode 30 is adjusted to a corresponding height by the control system 50 to maintain a small gap with the carbon nanotubes, such as Figure 8 As shown, the surface of the patterned carbon nanotube cathode 10 includes a retained area C and a ablated area B, and the retained area C and the ablated area B form concentric circles.

[0054] Embodiment 2: Patterning of a carbon nanotube array 1 with a diameter of 100 nm and a length of 50 μm grown on a substrate 1. According to the embodiment of the present invention, a mold-shaped etching electrode 32 is used, the surface of the electrode body 322 of the mold-shaped etching electrode 32 is in a grid shape, and the width of the electrode body 322 is 100 μm. The substrate 2 is placed on the stage 20, the substrate 2 is connected to the positive pole of the pulse power supply, and the mold-shaped etching electrode 32 is connected to the negative pole of the pulse power supply. The working current of the pulse power supply is 1000A, and the pulse voltage width is 10us. Through the control system 50, the etching electrode 30 is adjusted to a corresponding height to maintain a small gap with the carbon nanotubes, and the carbon nanotubes are patterned. Fig. 9 Schematically shows that the surface of the patterned carbon nanotube cathode 10 includes a retained area C and an ablated area B, and the surface of the patterned carbon nanotube cathode 10 is in a grid shape.

[0055] Example 3: Patterning of a carbon nanotube array 1 with a diameter of 50 nm and a length of 25 μm grown on a substrate 1. A needle-shaped etching electrode 31 is used, and the width of the needle-shaped etching electrode 31 is 50 μm. The substrate 2 is placed on a stage 20, and the substrate 2 is connected to the positive pole of a pulse power supply, and the needle-shaped etching electrode 31 is connected to the negative pole of the pulse power supply. The pulse working current is 500 A, and the pulse voltage is 5 us. Through the control system 50, the etching electrode 30 is adjusted to a corresponding height to maintain a small gap with the carbon nanotubes, and the stage 20 is controlled to move along the XY direction so that the needle-shaped etching electrode 31 discharges and ablates the corresponding carbon nanotubes on the substrate 2. The control system 50 controls the regulating device 40, and the needle-shaped etching electrode 31 ablates the carbon nanotube array 1 on the substrate along a specific concentric circle trajectory. The surface of the patterned carbon nanotube cathode 10 is Figure 8 Similar to that shown in .

[0056] It should be noted that although both contact and non-contact carbon nanotubes can achieve patterning of carbon nanotubes, the non-contact patterning method has more advantages. It ablates carbon nanotubes through pulse discharge, and realizes tip explosion based on the high electric field at the tip of the carbon nanotube, produces a local strong ionization phenomenon, and removes carbon nanotubes under the simultaneous action of instantaneous thermal effect and ion bombardment effect. Since the etching electrode 30 does not directly contact the carbon nanotubes, only the tip participates in the discharge process of the pulse discharge, and the long-term average thermal effect can be ignored. This patterning method will not affect the substrate 2 of the carbon nanotubes, and can reduce the thermal damage to the etching electrode 30. In addition, since the loss of carbon nanotubes is gradually completed from the tip of the carbon nanotube downward, the removal height of the carbon nanotubes is relatively more stable.

[0057] The embodiments of the present invention are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation modes, which are merely illustrative rather than restrictive. Under the guidance of the present invention, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention and the claims, all of which are within the protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A carbon nanotube array surface patterning device, used for patterning the surface of a carbon nanotube array on a substrate, characterized in that: The carbon nanotube array surface patterning device comprises: frame; A stage, disposed on the frame, one side of the stage being used for carrying the substrate; An etching electrode is disposed on the frame and disposed toward one side of the stage, the etching electrode being used to contact or approach a portion of the carbon nanotube array on the substrate and ablate a corresponding portion of the carbon nanotube array to construct a plurality of carbon nanotube array edges; An adjusting device, connected to at least one of the stage or the etching electrode, to adjust the relative position of the etching electrode and the stage; A control system is connected to the regulating device to control the operation of the regulating device.

2. The carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The etching electrode is formed in a needle tip shape extending toward one side of the stage.

3. The carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The etching electrode comprises: A substrate, one side of the substrate is arranged toward one side of the stage; The electrode body is formed as a protruding pattern arranged on one side of the substrate.

4. The carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The regulating device comprises: A first adjustment component, connected to the etching electrode, for adjusting the displacement of the etching electrode in a first direction, wherein the first direction is a direction perpendicular to a surface of one side of the stage; A driving device is electrically connected to the first adjusting component to provide a driving force for the first adjusting component.

5. The carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The adjusting device also includes: A second adjustment component is connected to the worktable to adjust the displacement of the worktable in a second direction and a third direction, wherein the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to each other and respectively perpendicular to the first direction, and the drive device is electrically connected to the second adjustment component to provide a driving force for the second adjustment component.

6. The carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The regulating device comprises: A third adjustment component connected to the stage to adjust the displacement of the stage in a first direction, wherein the first direction is a direction perpendicular to a surface of one side of the stage; A driving device is electrically connected to the third adjusting component to provide driving force for the third adjusting component.

7. The carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The adjusting device also includes: A fourth adjustment component is connected to the etching electrode to adjust the displacement of the etching electrode in a second direction and a third direction, wherein the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to each other and respectively perpendicular to the first direction, and the driving device is electrically connected to the fourth adjustment component to provide a driving force for the fourth adjustment component.

8. The carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A power supply system is electrically connected to the adjusting device, the etching electrode, and the control system, and is electrically connected to the stage and one of the substrates on the stage, so as to supply power to the adjusting device, the etching electrode, the control system, and the substrate on the stage, respectively.

9. The carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to claim 8, characterized in that: Also includes: A current sensor is connected to the power supply system to measure the magnitude of the current flowing from the power supply system to the etching electrode.

10. A method for patterning the surface of a carbon nanotube array, characterized in that: Based on the carbon nanotube array surface patterning device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprises the following steps: Providing a substrate on which a carbon nanotube array is grown, and placing the substrate on a stage; An operating control system wherein the adjusting device adjusts the etching electrode and / or the stage to a suitable position so that the etching electrode approaches or is close to the carbon nanotube array; The etching electrode and the stage are powered on respectively to ablate a portion of the carbon nanotube array on the substrate to construct a plurality of carbon nanotube array edges.

Images