Electron emission characteristics of diamond like carbon films deposited by laser ablation technique

Diamond like carbon (DLC) films are deposited on silicon substrates by the pulsed laser ablation technique. The surface morphology of the DLC film, studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM), shows a strong dependence on the power densities of the laser pulses. The degree of diamond-like properties of the films, which were studied using Raman spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy, shows close correlation with the surface morphology. Electron emission characteristics of the films are measured and their correlations with the surface morphology and bonding structure are investigated. Variation of these structural and electron emission characteristics of the films on the deposition conditions such as substrate temperature and flow rate of atomic hydrogen during the process of laser ablation is also studied.