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Title: Enhancing electrical conductivity and electron field emission properties of ultrananocrystalline diamond films by copper ion implantation and annealing

Journal Article · · Journal of Applied Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4865325· OSTI ID:22278088
; ;  [1]
  1. Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102 (India)

Copper ion implantation and subsequent annealing at 600 °C achieved high electrical conductivity of 95.0 (Ωcm){sup −1} for ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films with carrier concentration of 2.8 × 10{sup 18} cm{sup −2} and mobility of 6.8 × 10{sup 2} cm{sup 2}/V s. Transmission electron microscopy examinations reveal that the implanted Cu ions first formed Cu nanoclusters in UNCD films, which induced the formation of nanographitic grain boundary phases during annealing process. From current imaging tunneling spectroscopy and local current-voltage curves of scanning tunneling spectroscopic measurements, it is observed that the electrons are dominantly emitted from the grain boundaries. Consequently, the nanographitic phases presence in the grain boundaries formed conduction channels for efficient electron transport, ensuing in excellent electron field emission (EFE) properties for copper ion implanted/annealed UNCD films with low turn-on field of 4.80 V/μm and high EFE current density of 3.60 mA/cm{sup 2} at an applied field of 8.0 V/μm.

OSTI ID:
22278088
Journal Information:
Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 115, Issue 6; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English