Modeling of energy transfer in field emission of carbon nanotubes

Possible use of electron emission from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for precision machining has been realized only recently. It is hypothesized that by coupling CNT electron emission with radiation transfer mechanism nano-scaled machining can be achieved. A laser, for example, can be used to raise the temperature of the workpiece near its melting point, and a carbon nanotube is then used to transfer additional energy required to the workpiece to complete the removal of minute amount of materials for nanomachining process. To investigate this hypothesis, a detailed numerical/analytical study is conducted. Electron transfer is modeled using a Monte Carlo approach, and a detailed radiation transfer model, including Fresnel reflections is adapted. Based on the numerical simulations we found that a power of one-tenth of a watt is required from a CNT alone to raise the temperature of gold beyond its melting point. However, using a localized heating with a 400-nm laser, the required power can be reduced by roughly more than a half. This paper outlines the details of the numerical simulation and establishes a set of design guidelines for future nanomachining modalities.