Deposition method for nanostructure materials

A method of fabricating a patterned electron field emission cathode comprising a substrate coated with pre-formed carbon nanotube-containing material, the method comprising:

• (i) preparing a stable liquid suspension or solution containing the pre-formed carbon nanotube materials;
• (ii) depositing a layer of insoluble photoresist on the surface of the substrate;
• (iii) patterning the photoresist such that openings are formed in the photoresist layer corresponding to areas on the substrate onto which carbon nanotube-containing material is to be deposited;
• (iv) inserting two electrodes into the said liquid where the said substrate is, or is electrically connected to, one of the two electrodes, and applying an electrical field between the two electrodes such that the carbon nanotube-containing material is deposited on the surface of the said substrate corresponding to the openings in the photoresist layer;
• and
• (v) removing the photoresist layer from the substrate.

A method of fabricating a patterned electron field emission cathode comprising a substrate coated with pre-formed carbon nanotube-containing material, the method comprising:

• (i) preparing a liquid suspension or solution containing the pre-formed carbon nanotube materials;
• (ii) depositing a release layer on the surface of the substrate;
• (iii) depositing a layer of photoresist that is insoluble in the liquid onto the surface of the release layer;
• (iv) patterning the photoresist such that openings are formed in the photoresist layer corresponding to areas on the substrate onto which carbon nanotube-containing material is to be deposited;
• (v) removing the release layer exposed by the said openings in the photoresist to expose substrate surfaces;
• (vi) depositing the carbon nanotube containing materials onto the surfaces of the exposed substrate surfaces;
• and
• (vii) removing the photoresist layer and the release layer from the substrate while keeping the carbon nanotube-containing materials on the substrate surface.