Electron field emission in air at an atmospheric pressure from sp{sup 3}-bonded 5H-BN microcones

Journal Article · Sun Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2717594· OSTI ID:20982834

Komatsu, Shojiro; Ohta, Eiichi; Tanaka, Hironori; Moriyoshi, Yusuke; Nakajima, Kiyomi; Chikyo, Toyohiro; Shiratani, Masaharu ^[1]

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1. Advanced Electric Materials Center, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan)

Electron field emission (eFE) from sp{sup 3}-bonded 5H-BN films proved to take place in air at an atmospheric pressure. The eFE started at relatively low electric field (E) of 7.5 V/{mu}m and was reproducible. The eFE in air obeyed the Fowler-Nordheim equation for quantum mechanical tunneling. The BN films with self-organized microcone emitters were prepared by chemical vapor deposition from B{sub 2}H{sub 6}+NH{sub 3}+Ar plasma where 193 nm excimer laser irradiated the growing film surface. The laser activates the growth reactions photochemically and induces the cone-shape formation. The eFE from the same sample observed in vacuum showed the threshold E below 1 V/{mu}m. These excellent eFE properties are considered to originate from geometrical field enhancement by the microcone shape and the decrease of work function due to the surface electric dipole moment layer (4.3 eV, estimated by molecular orbital method). This atmospheric eFE combined with the robustness of BN may open a wide range of applications.

• OSTI ID: 20982834
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 101, Issue 8; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2717594; (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AIR
AMMONIA
ARGON
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
BORON HYDRIDES
BORON NITRIDES
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
CRYSTAL GROWTH
ELECTRIC DIPOLE MOMENTS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
EXCIMER LASERS
FIELD EMISSION
INHOUR EQUATION
MOLECULAR ORBITAL METHOD
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
QUANTUM MECHANICS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
THIN FILMS
TUNNEL EFFECT
WORK FUNCTIONS