Electron field emission from diamond-like carbon films and a patterned array by using a Ti interfacial layer

Electron field emission from diamond-like carbon (DLC) films deposited on Si, Ti/Si, and Au/Si substrates by a filtered arc deposition technique was studied. As compared to DLC/Si and DLC/Au/Si, electron field emission from DLC/Ti/Si was enhanced, showing an increased emission current density and emission site density (similar to1.2x10(3)/cm(2)). An emission site density up to 2.2similar to2.2x10(3)/cm(2) was obtained after the DLC/Ti/Si had been annealed at 430 degreesC for 0.5 h. A patterned DLC/Ti/Si array fabricated by the oxygen reactive ion beam etching technique showed further field emission enhancement. An emission site density up to 3.2similar to3.5x10(3)/cm(2) and a threshold field as low as 2.1 V/mum were achieved. It was shown that the low potential barrier at the interface and high local geometric electric field enhancement around the edges produced by reactive ion beam etching were possible causes of the enhancing effects. It could also be explained by Geis' metal-diamond-vacuum triple junction emission mechanism. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.