Grain boundary field electron emission from CVD diamond films

Citation
Av. Karabutov et al., Grain boundary field electron emission from CVD diamond films, DIAM RELAT, 8(2-5), 1999, pp. 763-767
Citations number
32
Categorie Soggetti
Apllied Physucs/Condensed Matter/Materiales Science","Material Science & Engineering
Journal title
DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS
ISSN journal
09259635 → ACNP
Volume
8
Issue
2-5
Year of publication
1999
Pages
763 - 767
Database
ISI
SICI code
0925-9635(199903)8:2-5<763:GBFEEF>2.0.ZU;2-5
Abstract
Results are reported on microscopic study of electronic and structural prop erties of field emission centers for chemical vapor deposition diamond film s. The field electron emission (FEE) for the best films studied was observe d at >3 V mu m(-1), and ultralow (<0.1 eV) values of effective work functio n derived from Fowler-Nordheim plot fitting are discussed. A specially desi gned high vacuum scanning tunneling-field emission microscope was applied f or simultaneous mapping of FEE intensity, morphology, work function and loc al electroconductivity evaluation. It was found that the emission centers w ere not associated with sharp morphology protrusions. On the contrary, they correspond to morphology pits (grain boundaries) which also show a low val ue of the work function. A mechanism of the low-FEE near grain boundaries i ncluding field enhancement of narrow conductive channels between insulating diamond grains is discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights res erved.