Field emission properties of diamond thin films

Abstract

Summary form only given, as follows. Si tips coated with thin diamond films show considerable promise for use in field emission cathodes because these films demonstrate an air-stable negative electron affinity surface. Such a surface may allow for fields emission at low electric field under poor vacuum conditions. In this work, a new technique for preparation of high quality diamond films with low impurity contamination has been developed. This technique is based on deposition of low energy C/sup +/ ions. These ions have been generated in duoplasmatron and directed to the Si tip via the beam forming system and mass-separation with Wien's filter. A study aimed an understanding the electronic properties of diamond adsorbed on the Si surface has been carried out by means of probe-hole I-V characteristics measurements and field emission electron spectroscopy as well. The paper reports on recent findings to emerge from the above study, and presents a pertinent model to explain the significant changes in energy spectra of field emitted electrons. Finally, we discuss the possible mechanism of electron transport in such a system.