Ultraviolet laser treatment of multiwall carbon nanotubes grown at low temperature

Simple laser irradiation of well-aligned multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was performed to intentionally modify structural defects and to ablate possible contamination of the MWCNTs. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy confirmed the clear presence of the MWCNTs with open tips. A Raman spectra exhibited a decrease in an intensity ratio (ID/IG) of 1352 cm−1 (D band) over 1583 cm−1 (G band) peaks by significantly reducing the amorphous carbon phases of D band peaks. The structural improvement in the MWCNTs after optimum laser exposure resulted in a reduction of the turn-on voltage from 1.0 to 0.6 V/μm and an increase in the emission current.