Synergistic effect of Fe etching and Ar+ bombardment on the electron field emission properties of single-crystal diamond

Abstract

A new strategy coupling Fe etching with Ar+ bombardment was proposed and carried out on the single-crystal diamond (SCD) surface for enhancing the electrical properties of diamond by the dual effects of defects and impurity elements. Scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive x-ray spectrum, x-ray diffractometer, Raman spectroscopy, and Hall effects measurements were performed to investigate the modified surface structure and electron field emission (EFE) performance. The results indicated that concentric circle patterns accompanying propitious clouds were generated after the treatment, which were composed of nano-sized carbides including FeC, WC, W2C, and Fe3W3C, respectively. The Hall mobility and carrier concentration of the treated SCD were about 22.55 cm2 V−1 s−1 and 2.71 × 1021 cm−3, which are 12 times and 4 orders of magnitude higher than the pristine SCD, respectively. The EFE behavior was turned on at E0 = 6.2 V/μm, achieving a current density of 6.8 mA/cm2 at the applied field of 10 V/μm. The present study offers the possibility of using SCD as EFE material and an effective method for enhancing the EFE properties of diamond.