FIELD-EMISSION FROM DLC FILMS

Field emission measurements on diamond like carbon (DLC) films with di fferent amounts of sp(3) and sp(2) carbon were carried out. Depending on the amount of sp(2) carbon in the film, activated and non-activated Fowler-Nordheim like emission could be observed. The emission spots w ere investigated using a combination of AFM and STM, by simultaneously measuring the topography and the conductivity of the samples. In the case of sp(2) rich DLC films we could observe that the emission origin ates from highly conducting inclusions of sp(2) carbon in a matrix of insulating sp(3) carbon. These inclusions are already existing on the sp(2) sample by the deposition process itself and are formed by the ac tivation on the sp(3) rich sample.