Influence of the electric field on the alignment of carbon nanotubes during their growth and emission

The problems of the electric field action on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) during their growth and under the electron field emission conditions are considered. The relations determining the growth rate of an extended structure under the action of the electric field are established. The relation connecting the angle of orientation of a CNT inclined to the substrate surface and the applied electric field is used for computing current-voltage characteristics of the cathode consisting of inclined CNTs. The degree of deviation of these characteristics from the Fowler-Nordheim classic dependence is determined, on the one hand, by the parameters characterizing the CNT spread over the angles of inclination and, on the other hand, by the value of the Young modulus characterizing the bending stiffness of a nanotube. It is shown that in zero external electric field, a certain effect on the CNT orientation can be produced by the CNT potential relative to the substrate, which is due to the effect of the contact potential difference.