FIELD-EMISSION FROM NITROGEN-DOPED TETRAHEDRAL AMORPHOUS-CARBON PREPARED BY FILTERED CATHODIC VACUUM ARE TECHNIQUE

A study of field emission from nitrogen doped tetrahedral amorphous' c arbon (ta-C:N) films prepared by the filtered cathodic vacuum are (FCV A) deposition technique is reported. Field emission from ta-C:N films deposited on Si substrates was investigated in a diode configuration a t room temperature and base pressure of 2.0 X 10(-6) Torr. The J-E cur ves shift significantly towards the low potential side with increasing nitrogen concentration. The lowest field at which field emission was obtained was 10 V mu m(-1). A current density of 0.1 mA mm(-2) (assumi ng the entire film surface is emitting) at 50 V mu m(-1) was obtained from these films. Electronic parameters, i.e., the band gap energy and activation energy were measured in order to construct an energy band dial:ram for the heterojunction structure, and the field emission mech anism is proposed based on this structure. (C) 1998 American Vacuum So ciety.