Surface properties and field emission characteristics of chemical vapor deposition diamond grown on Fe/Si substrates

Electron field emission characteristics of diamond grains fabricated on iro n dot-patterned silicon (Fe/Si) substrates at different methane concentrati ons have been investigated. The characteristics of the samples could be imp roved by control of the methane concentration during diamond fabrication. E tching treatment of the as-grown diamond has enhanced the emission properti es both with respect to current and threshold voltage. In order to study th e influence of etching effects on the field emission characteristics, the r espective surfaces were studied by Raman spectroscopy, Auger electron spect roscopy, and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). ESCA revea led intensive graphite and FeOx peaks on the sample surface grown at high m ethane concentration. For the etched samples, the peaks of diamond and sili con carbide were observed, and the peaks of nondiamond carbon disappeared. The experimental results show that the etching process removes graphitic an d nondiamond carbon components. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.