Low-voltage electron emission from chemical vapor deposition graphite films

Thin film cold cathodes composed of a graphite-type carbon coating on Si su bstrate have been fabricated and tested. Electrons from the cathodes were e mitted into vacuum when the average electric field exceeded 1.5 V/mu m. The emission current density was more than 1 mA/cm(2) and emission site densit y was higher than 10(7) cm(-2) at the electric field of 4 V/mu m. The curre nt-voltage dependencies were studied at different temperatures from 77 to 6 00 K and found to be typical for the field emission. We propose a mechanism of electron,emission from carbon cold cathodes, based on the enhancement o f electric field due to surface morphology and on the modification of elect ronic properties of carbon atoms localized on the surface of graphite-type material. (C) 1999 American Vacuum Society. [S0734-211X(99)10902-8].