Field emission from chemical vapor deposited diamond and diamond-like carbon films: Investigations of surface damage and conduction mechanisms

Abstract

Field emission properties of undoped chemical vapor deposited diamond and diamond-like carbon films have been measured for a variety of different deposition conditions. The nature and appearance of the damage site after testing has been investigated with scanning electron microscopy and laser Raman mapping. These observations, together with the mathematical form of the observed current-voltage relations, are correlated with the conductivity of the film. The results are consistent with a model for the overall emission current that combines conduction mechanisms through the bulk of the film with Fowler-Nordheim tunneling.

FIELD EMISSION STUDIES OF NITROGEN-DOPED DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON FILMS DEPOSITED USING CH4/N2/Ne and CH4/NH3/Ne RF PLASMAS

“…The anode voltage was ramped from 0-2.5 kV using a computer, and the emission current from the surface of the film was collected and measured using a picoammeter. Care was taken to ensure that the voltage and current density did not exceed a value which might cause damage to the film surface [2]. The films often required a number of voltage ramps to 'condition' or 'activate' [10] the film surface, after which subsequent current/voltage (I-V) curves became stable and reproducible.…”

“…However, in order to obtain optimum electron current at minimum applied electric field, without surface damage [2], it is necessary to dope the DLC film using suitable p-or n-type dopants [3]. Incorporation of nitrogen into some DLC films has been reported to greatly enhance both its conductivity and its electronic performance [4,5].…”

Development and characterization of flexible electrodes for protective painting monitoring

“…To test the soft electrode performance with less protective coatings, other tests were performed on an 42crMo4 steel specimen covered with a diamond-like coating (DLC) [9]. DLC films have high resistivity, but a porous nature in which small holes with dimension of less than 1 μm are present among columns of diamond-like crystals carbon.…”

Ferroelectric (Ba,Sr)1-xLaxTiO3 thin films electron field emission applications

“…In this thesis, ferroelectric (Ba 0. 65 with increasing annealing temperature from 600 to 750 °C, and it moves back slightly at 800 °C. The upward shift of the Fermi level from 600 to 750 °C is attributed to the increasing oxygen vacancy concentration in the films and the downward shift of the Fermi level at 800 °C is associated with severe interfacial reaction.…”

“…Other proposed models include dielectric breakdown that provides conductive channels in diamond [63], surface arcing that results in the formation of tips and protrusions and thus provide additional geometric field enhancement [64], space ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library charge limited conduction current through the bulk of thin film [65], and surface conduction enhanced electron emission [66].…”