ELECTRON FIELD-EMISSION FROM SIC SI HETEROSTRUCTURES SYNTHESIZED BY CARBON IMPLANTATION USING A METAL VAPOR VACUUM-ARC ION-SOURCE/

A remarkably low turn-on field of about 1 V/mu m has been observed in electron field emission from planar SiC/Si heterostructures formed by high dose C implantation into Si using a metal vapor vacuum are ion so urce. An implant energy of 35 keV was used to a dose of 1.0 x 10(18) i ons/cm(2) with subsequent annealing in nitrogen at 1200 degrees C for 2 h. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that a thin surface stoic hiometric SiC layer, with a thickness of about 150 nm, had been formed . Atomic force microscopy showed that there are densely distributed sm all protrusions formed on the surface. The formation of a thin surface stoichiometric SiC layer and the formation of densely distributed sma ll protrusions on the surface are believed to be the two factors respo nsible for the efficient electron field emission. (C) 1998 American In stitute of Physics.