Preparation of field emission array comprising nanostructures

1. A method for preparing a field emission array which comprises the steps of:

(1) forming a metal catalyst layer on a first substrate and then growing a plurality of nanostructures on the catalyst layer;

(2) coating one end of each grown nanostructure with at least one material selected from the group consisting of a metal, an alloy, and an oxide, nitride, carbide, sulfide and chloride thereof;

(3) isolating the one end-coated nanostructures from the first substrate and placing them on a patterned metal electrode layer formed on a second substrate; and

(4) causing the coated ends of the nanostructures to adhere to the metal electrode layer formed on the second substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal catalyst layer formed in step (1) comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a metal, an alloy, and an oxide, nitride, carbide, sulfide, chloride, nitrate and sulfonate thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures grown in step (1) are carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanohorns or nanowires.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures obtained in step (1) are surface-treated prior to step (2).

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the nanostructures are surface-treated with at least one material selected from the group consisting of ozone, nitrogen oxide(NO x ), ammonia, hydrogen cyanide(HCN), sulfoxide(SO x ), chlorine, carbon dioxide, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, fluoric acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate, chlorine dioxide, potassium iodide, pyridine and hydrogen sulfide.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the material used for the coating step (2) is the same as the constituent of the metal electrode layer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adhesion step (4) is conducted by heating at a temperature ranging from 100 to 1500° C.