Study of carbon nanoemitters using CO2–CH4 gas mixtures in triode-type field emission arrays

Abstract

In this study, we used methane/carbon dioxide gas mixtures to deposit nanoemitters on the gate-structured metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) diodes. Due to the nanoemitters growing in a high carbon concentration gas source of CH4/CO2, the growth rate is better than conventional mixtures by using hydrocarbons diluted in hydrogen. Moreover, the bias also promotes the growth rate in the CH4/CO2 gas mixtures. In addition, selected area deposition (SAD) of emitters was successfully achieved by using the Pt layer as inhibitor in the bias assisted microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (BAMPCVD). The field emission current and the current density of nanoemitters on field emission arrays (FEAs) are 154 μA and 490 mA cm−2, respectively. This may be due to the following reasons: (I) short gate-emitter spacing; (II) small gate aperture; and (III) emitter with a sharp feature.