Research on Carbon Nanotubes Brings FED-TVs Closer
Levi Beckerson (Blog) - November 23, 2007 1:24 PM
DailyTech

Rumored to be the next step in flat panel displays, FED-TVs may become an affordable reality, thanks to research on carbon nanotubes.

Though the technology has been around for many years, Field Emission Display (FED) televisions are not something the common consumer would probably know about. While FED-TVs promise to be the next generation of HDTV displays, brighter and more efficient than plasma, more reliable than LCD, and much less bulky than CRT, the high cost of production has kept the technology from reaching the consumer. Enter our friend, the carbon nanotube.

Research by a group of universities, including University of Latvia, University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, University of London, and Mid Sweden University, has demonstrated the conductive and field emission properties of single and multi walled carbon nanotubes. The researchers used a transmission electron microscope-scanning tunneling microscope to collect the data from nanotubes that were grown by chemical vapor and supercritical fluid deposition techniques. They found that the properties of the nanotubes were dependent on the structure of the tube.

The research is important for TV manufacturers because it will allow them to craft nanotubes with the best possible characteristics for use in FED-TVs... More    Comment in The Forums