Field emission from a new form of thin film amorphous carbon having nanoparticle inclusions and carbon nanotubes

Field emission results from a new form of carbon thin film are reported. Th e films contain carbon nanoparticles (nanotubes, "onions" and "eggs") withi n an amorphous carbon matrix and are deposited using a carbon are with a lo calized high-pressure gas region of He of N-2. The films formed in an N-2 e nvironment have a nitrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:N) matrix and show cle ar Fowler-Nordheim-type metallic field emission characteristics. The field emission is very similar to that obtained from pure, randomly oriented mult i-wall and single-wall nanotube films. It is proposed that the new a-C:N/na noparticle films emit electrons through conducting channels formed in the f ilm, subsurface field emission into the a-C:N matrix and hot electron surmo unting of the surface potential barrier between the a-C:N and vacuum. Field enhancement factors of over 1000 are calculated for the thin film emitters when the nanoparticle work function is taken as 5 eV. This class of a-C:N/ nanoparticle film has the potential to be a thin film equivalent to carbon nanotubes in terms of field emission.