Effect of nitrogen incorporation on electron emission from chemical vapor deposited diamond

Two different types of the nitrogen-doped chemical vapor deposited (CVD) di amond films were synthesized with N-2 (nitrogen) and C3H6N6 (melamine) as d oping sources. The samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, R aman scattering, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and field-emission measure ments. More effective substitutional nitrogen doping was achieved with C3H6 N6 than With N-2 The diamond film doped with N-2 contained-a significant am ount of nondiamond carbon phases. The sample produced with N-2 exhibited a lower field emission turn-on field than the sample produced with C3H6N6 It is believed that the presence of the graphitic phases (Or amorphous sp(2) c arbon) at the grain boundaries of the diamond and/or the nanocrystallinity (or microcrystallinity) of the diamond play a significant role in lowering the turn-on field of the film produced using N-2. It is:Speculated that sub stitutional nitrogen, doping Plays only;a minor role in changing the field emission characteristics of CVD diamond films. (C) 1999 American Vacuum soc iety. [S0734-211X(99)05902-8].