FIELD-EMISSION ENERGY-DISTRIBUTION ANALYSIS OF CUBIC-BN-COATED MO EMITTERS - NONLINEAR BEHAVIOR

Voltage-dependent field emission energy distribution (V-FEED) and curr ent versus voltage measurements were performed on Mo tips coated with intrinsic cubic boron nitride (c-BN) to determine the origin of the fi eld-emitted electrons. Spectra were collected from the Mo emitters und er ultrahigh vacuum conditions both before and after being coated. In some instances multiple FEED peaks were observed in the collected spec tra. These corresponded to multiple emission sites on the emitter. The energy of the held-emitted electrons from the c-BN-coated emitters us ually depended linearly upon the applied voltage and could be explaine d using a simplified band-bending model. However, at higher voltages t he FEED measured from the c-BN-coated emitters departed from this line ar behavior. These nonlinearities were attributed to a contact resista nce at the Mo/c-BN interface which had a greater influence on the ener gy distribution of emitted electrons at larger emission currents. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.