Silicon field emitters have been modified by coating with a thin SiC film through a chemical conversion process. Silicon carbide was formed on Si emitter surfaces by reacting with ethylene gas at temperatures between 850 and 950 °C using pressures as high as 5×10−3 Torr. The thickness of the coatings ranged from 2 to 500 nm, determined by a combination of reaction time, pressure, and temperature. Stable emission currents above 10 μÅ were measured from individual SiC coated emitters.

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Thin films of silicon carbide have been formed on silicon field emitters by chemical reaction with ethylene (C2H4) at temperatures of 850 to 950°C using ethylene gas pressures up to 5×10-3 Torr. By controlling the reaction time and temperature, we have made SiC coatings of from ∼20 A thickness to complete transformation of tips to SiC (1-2 μm). The electron diffraction pattern of the SiC layers show the expected 20% lattice mismatch with silicon and, for those emitters completely transformed, a polycrystalline 3C-SiC polytype was identified. The small radius of curvature was maintained for both the coated and completely transformed tips, although some defects and surface roughness was introduced during the treatments.

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