Abstract Submitted to the    NANOTUBE'04 Conference:

Ge-filled carbon nanotubes covered with "diamond-like carbon" films (Ge-filled CNTs with “DLC” films) from organogermanium precursors [(C2H5)4Ge and (n-C4H9)4Ge] with an average diameter of around 15-150 nm have been prepared by MOCVD growth technique at 4500 - 6000C and characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning Auger microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and electron field emission measurements. XRD and TEM methods showed that inside this nanostructure there is pure, highly ordered cubic crystalline Ge nanowire. The Raman data also indicate that the nanowires consist of cubic single-crystalline Ge and are encapsulated into thin carbon films of the DLC type. An array of emitters of the Ge – filled CNTs as cathode was formed from (C2H5)4Ge on Si (100) substrate with PdO layer to investigate field emission of these nanostructures. Diameter of CNTs was 100-140 nm. A glass wafer with aluminium layer wa s used as an anode (an anode-cathode distance 250 mm). The tips with these Ge-filled CNTs exhibit good electron field emission properties. Emitted current density was Je= 1mA/cm2 at the applied field 8 V/mm. Thus the promising electron field emission property observed for Ge-filled CNTs with “DLC” films indicates to a new perspective hybrid nanomaterial. The reaction mechanism, structure and morphology of this nanomaterial and its electron field emission properties are discussed. This work was supported by the ISTC project No.2511 and President grant of RF 1652.2003.3.