FIELD-EMISSION FROM SILICON AND MOLYBDENUM TIPS COATED WITH DIAMOND POWDER BY DIELECTROPHORESIS

Thin diamond layers have been formed on molybdenum and single-crystal silicon field emitters using a dielectrophoresis coating method from a suspension of diamond powder in a nonconducting fluid. Transmission a nd scanning electron microscopy observation revealed a significant amo unt of diamond on the tips. The average thickness of the deposited dia mond layer depended on the applied bias and the immersion time. Field emission from these diamond-coated emitters exhibited significant enha ncement compared to the pure emitters. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.