Electron field emission properties of carbon nanostructure synthesized by catalyst assisted solid-state growth process

Abstract

The electron field emission properties of nanostructured carbon clusters (or carbon fibers) formed by catalyst assisted solid-state growth process from diamond or diamondlike films were investigated. The SEM microscopic and Raman spectroscopic examinations show that the diamond (diamondlike) films, were converted into fibrous carbonaceous materials, when they were coated with a thin layer of Fe/Co films (<10 nm) and then post-annealed at high enough temperature (>950 °C). Precoating a Fe/Co layer is of prime importance in order to induce the phase transformation process. The field emission properties of thus obtained nanostructured carbons grown on diamondlike films are J e=300 μA/cm 2, whereas those on boron/nitrogen-codoped diamond films are J e=1080 μA/cm 2, at 21.6 V/μm applied field.