Synthesis of diamond using ultra-nanocrystalline diamonds as seeding layer and their electron field emission properties

Abstract

A modified nucleation and growth process was adopted so as to improve the electron field emission (EFE) properties of diamonds films. In this process, a thin layer of ultra-nanocrystalline diamonds (UNCD), instead of bias-enhanced-nuclei, were used as nucleation layer for growing diamond films in H 2-plasma. The morphology of the grains changes profoundly due to such a modified CVD process. The geometry of the grains transform from faceted to roundish and the surface of grains changes from clear to spotty. The Raman spectroscopies and SEM micrographs imply that such a modified diamond films consist of UNCD clusters (~ 10–20 nm in size) on top of sp 3-bonded diamond grains (~ 100 nm in size). Increasing the total pressure in CVD chamber deteriorated the Raman structure and hence degraded the EFE properties of the films, whereas either increasing the methane content in the H 2-based plasma or prolonged the growth time improved markedly the Raman structure and thereafter enhanced the EFE properties of diamond films. The EFE properties for the modified diamond films can be turned on at E 0 = 11.1 V/μm, achieving EFE current density as large as ( J e) = 0.7 mA/cm 2 at 25 V/μm applied field.