Electron emitting device using carbon fiber; electron source; image display device; method of manufacturing the electron emitting device; method of manufacturing electron source using the electron emitting device; and method of manufacturing image display device

Abstract

There is provided an electron emitting device utilizing a plurality of carbon fibers, in which a mean diameter value of the plurality of carbon fibers is in a range from a minimum of 10 nm to a maximum of 10 nm, and a standard deviation of diameter distribution of the plurality of carbon fibers is equal to or less than 30% of the mean diameter value.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electron emitting device comprising a plurality of carbon fibers, wherein: 
 a mean diameter value of said plurality of carbon fibers is in a range from a minimum of 10 nm to a maximum of 100 nm; and    a standard deviation of a diameter distribution is equal to or less than 30% of the mean diameter value.    
     
     
         2 . An electron emitting device according to  claim 1 , wherein the standard deviation of the diameter distribution is equal to or less than 15% of the mean diameter value.  
     
     
         3 . An electron emitting device according to  claim 1 , wherein said carbon fibers are carbon fibers selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes, graphite nanofibers, and amorphous carbon fibers.  
     
     
         4 . An electron emitting device according to  claim 3 , wherein the carbon nanotube contains a cylindrical graphene which is disposed substantially in parallel with an axial direction of the fiber.  
     
     
         5 . An electron emitting device according to  claim 3 , wherein the graphite nanofiber contains a plurality of graphenes which are laminated in the direction without being in parallel with an axial direction of the fiber.  
     
     
         6 . An electron emitting device according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of carbon fibers are electrically connected to a cathode electrode disposed on a substrate.  
     
     
         7 . An electron source comprising a plurality of electron emitting devices, wherein the electron emitting devices individually correspond to the electron emitting device as in any one of  claims 1  to  6 .  
     
     
         8 . An image display device comprising an electron source and fluorescent materials, wherein said electron source corresponds to the electron source as in  claim 7 .  
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device comprising a plurality of carbon fibers, comprising the steps of; 
 disposing a substrate with a catalytic material inside a reaction vessel;    feeding hydrogen gas and hydrocarbon gas into the reaction vessel at a temperature close to a room temperature; and    generating a plurality of carbon fibers by way of raising the temperature inside the reaction vessel.    
     
     
         10 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to  claim 9 , wherein after feeding the hydrogen gas and hydrocarbon gas into the reaction vessel, the temperature inside the reaction vessel is raised to 400° C. or more.  
     
     
         11 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to  claim 9 , wherein after feeding the hydrogen gas and hydrocarbon gas into the reaction vessel, the temperature inside the reaction vessel is raised to a range from a minimum of 400° C. to a maximum of 600° C.  
     
     
         12 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to  claim 9 , wherein after feeding the hydrogen gas and hydrocarbon gas into the reaction vessel, the temperature inside the reaction vessel is raised to be held at a substantially constant level.  
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to  claim 9 , wherein the catalytic material comprises palladium (Pd) or an alloy material containing palladium.  
     
     
         14 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to  claim 13 , wherein the alloy material containing palladium (Pd) further contains at least one of such components including Fe, Co, and Ni, being added to the palladium.  
     
     
         15 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to  claim 9 , wherein the hydrocarbon gas contains ethylene gas, or acetylene gas, or mixture thereof.  
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to  claim 15 , wherein the ethylene gas and acetylene gas are individually diluted with inert gas.  
     
     
         17 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to  claim 16 , wherein a concentration of the ethylene gas diluted with inert gas is less than 2.7 vol %.  
     
     
         18 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to  claim 16 , wherein a concentration of the acetylene gas diluted with inert gas is less than 2.5 vol %.  
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to  claim 9 , wherein the hydrogen gas is diluted with inert gas.  
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to  claim 19 , wherein a concentration of the hydrogen gas diluted with inert gas is less than 4 vol %.  
     
     
         21 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to  claim 9 , wherein inert gas is fed into the reaction vessel in conjunction with the hydrocarbon gas and hydrogen gas.  
     
     
         22 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to  claim 9 , wherein an internal pressure inside the reaction vessel is in a range from a minimum of 1×1.333×10 2  Pa to a maximum of 1000×1.333×10 2  Pa.  
     
     
         23 . A method of manufacturing an electron source comprising a plurality of electron emitting devices, wherein the electron emitting devices are manufactured by applying the method of manufacturing an electrode emitting device as in  claim 9 .  
     
     
         24 . A method of manufacturing an image display device comprising an electron source and fluorescent materials, wherein the electron source is manufactured by applying the method of manufacturing an electrode source as in  claim 23.