FIELD-EMISSION CHARACTERISTICS OF DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON-FILMS SYNTHESIZED BY PULSED-LASER DEPOSITION PROCESS USING A AU-INTERMEDIATE LAYER

The characteristics of the diamondlike carbon (DLC) films deposited on Au-coated silicon substrate are observed to vary markedly with the su bstrate temperature. Large relative proportion of sp(3)-bonds had pron ouncedly improved the electron emission properties of the DLC films. A low turn on field as 7 V/mu m and a large emission current density as 2000 mu A/cm(2), at 20 V/mu m, were achieved for DLC/Au/Si films depo sited at 200 degrees C. Too high a substrate temperature (i.e., 600 de grees C) induced graphitization that degraded the field emission behav ior. The DLC/Au/Si films grow in a similar behavior as DLC/Mo/Si films , but possess substantially better field emission characteristics. The scanning electron microscopic and secondary ion mass spectroscopies a nalyses implied that the main factor is the improvement on the interfa cial structure through the interdiffusion between DLC, Au, and Si laye rs. (C) 1997 American Vacuum Society.