Electron field emission from different sp(3) content diamond-like carbon films

Different sp(3) content diamond-like carbon films are deposited on to highl y n-doped Si(111) substrates by a new plasma deposition technique-filtered are deposition. Their electron field emission properties are studied by usi ng a simple diode structure. It is showed that the turn-on field is decreas ed and field emission current density is increased with the increasing sp3 content (75-80%, 80-83%, and 88-90%) of the films. Field emission current o f 0.1 mu A from the three samples was detected under the electric field of 10.1, 5.6, and 2.9 V/mu m and emission current density of 4.4, 15.2, and 43 .2 mu A/cm(2), respectively, under 14.3 V/mu m. Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) plots of the three samples nearly show of lineaity indicating that electron fiel d emission obeys F-N theory.