Abstract
AbstractCharacteristics of pulsed‐field electron emission from nanocarbon films were investigated in experiments with a wide (1.5–5 mm) quasiplanar test gap. Parameters of the applied voltage (amplitude, shape and duration of pulsed component and d.c. bias) were varied; the maximum peak voltage value amounted to 40–45 kV. Dynamic I–V plots measured in 10–100 µs pulses combined inherent features of field emission (linearity in Fowler–Nordheim (FN) coordinates) with strong hysteresis. For the explanation of the latter, a model of emission via intermediate electron energy states is proposed. The simple quantitative model excellently agrees with the measured characteristics for different emitter samples and over a broad range of voltage parameters, but fails to simulate the phenomenon of emission efficiency boosting by fast voltage drops, also observed in the experiment. A possible mechanism of this dynamic effect may consist in the redistribution of electrons among the different field focuses at the nonuniform emitter surface under the effect of a strong nonstationary electric field. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.