Field electron emission of diamond films grown on the ultrasonically scratched and nano-seeded Si substrates

In the present study, we compare the field emission properties of diamond films grown on ultrasonically scratched and nano-seeded Si substrates. The diamond films were fabricated in a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition system. It is confirmed that these two kinds of pretreatment methods, scratched or nano-seeded, result in rather different field emission properties. The diamond films grown on the ultrasonically scratched Si substrates present much higher emission current and lower threshold field than those of the films grown on the nano-seeded substrates. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy has been employed to evaluate the diamond films, and the field electron emission behaviors are analyzed in relation to the interface structures.