Origin of graphitic filaments on improving the electron field emission properties of negative bias-enhanced grown ultrananocrystalline diamond films in CH4/Ar plasma

Abstract

Microstructural evolution of bias-enhanced grown (BEG) ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films has been investigated using microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition in gas mixtures of CH4 and Ar under different negative bias voltages ranging from −50 to −200 V. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the morphology, growth rate, and chemical bonding of the synthesized films. Transmission electron microscopic investigation reveals that the application of bias voltage induced the formation of the nanographitic filaments in the grain boundaries of the films, in addition to the reduction of the size of diamond grains to ultra-nanosized granular structured grains. For BEG-UNCD films under −200 V, the electron field emission (EFE) process can be turned on at a field as small as 4.08 V/μm, attaining a EFE current density as large as 3.19 mA/cm2 at an applied field of 8.64 V/μm. But the films grown without bias (0 V) have mostly amorphous carbon phases in the grain boundaries, possessing poorer EFE than those of the films grown using bias. Consequently, the induction of nanographitic filaments in grain boundaries of UNCD films grown in CH4/Ar plasma due to large applied bias voltage of −200 V is the prime factor, which possibly forms interconnected paths for facilitating the transport of electrons that markedly enhance the EFE properties.