Field emission from diamond-like carbon films studied by scanning anode

We deposited diamond-like carbon (DLC) films using ion beam sputtering of a graphite target on flat substrates for use as a thin film field emitter. An n-type silicon wafer, titanium-coated silicon, and indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass were used as a substrate. All films exhibited a sudden increase in the emission after a breakdown occurred at high voltage. The morphology of the films after the breakdown depended on the substrate. On ITO and Ti substrates, the DLC film peeled off upon breakdown, but on the Si substrate the surface melting due to breakdown resulted in the formation of various structures such as a sharp point, mound, and crater. By scanning the deformed surface with a tip anode, we found that the emission was concentrated at the deformed sites, indicating that the field enhancement due to the morphology change was responsible for the increased emission.