Abstract :
Carbon nanostructures of different composition and structure including nanocrystalline diamond films, flake-like sp2-bonded CVD carbon films, bulk diamond/sp2-bonded carbon nanocomposites, DLC films, nanotubes, etc., often show excellent field electron emission properties with very low threshold fields of 0.5-2 V/μm and uniformity of emission properties over a large surface area. Based on the special study of microscopic properties of the field emission centers, including work function, electrical conductivity, topography and emission intensity, a mechanism of the emission for such objects is proposed, taking into account quantum properties of nanostructured carbon forms, including reduction of the tunneling barrier due to quantum well effects for thin carbon nanolayers and insulator/graphite interfaces (Karabutov et al, J. Vac. Sci. Tech. B vol. 19, p. 965, 2001). Here, this model is developed, involving detailed calculation of the field emission current from quantum wells and carbon nanostructures
Keywords :
carbon; carbon nanotubes; chemical vapour deposition; electrical conductivity; electron field emission; graphite; interface states; nanostructured materials; quantum wells; surface topography; tunnelling; C; DLC films; bulk diamond/sp2 -bonded carbon nanocomposites; carbon nanostructures; electrical conductivity; emission intensity; emission mechanism; emission properties uniformity; field electron emission; field electron emission properties; field emission centers; field emission current; flake-like sp2 -bonded CVD carbon films; insulator/graphite interfaces; microscopic properties; nanocrystalline diamond films; nanostructure composition; nanostructured carbon; nanostructured carbon forms; nanotubes; quantum properties; quantum well effect; quantum well effects; quantum wells; surface area; thin carbon nanolayers; threshold fields; topography; tunneling barrier; work function; Carbon dioxide; Conductivity; Diamond-like carbon; Electron emission; Mechanical factors; Microscopy; Nanocomposites; Nanostructures; Nanotubes; Surface topography;
