Field emission observations from CVD diamond-coated silicon emitters

Abstract The self-aligned fabrication of diamond-coated silicon field emitters was performed by a selective chemical vapor deposition of diamond on p-type (100)-oriented silicon followed by argon ion milling of the patterned structures. Field emission measurements of as-prepared and thermally as well as hydrogen plasma treated diamond-coated silicon emitter arrays with base diamters ranged from 1.2 to 10 μm were carried out by field emission scanning microscopy with μm resolution. The applied electrical surface field has been varied between 20 and 250 MV m −1 . It was found that the combination of thermal and hydrogen plasma treatments can substantially improve the electron emission of diamond-coated silicon emitters. Depending on their base diameter the field emitters demonstrated stable electron emission for E >80–120 MV m −1 . Fowler-Nordheim analysis for arrays and individual field emitters was performed.