Tunnel Emission from Nanostructured Field-Emission Array Cathodes with a Fluorine–Carbon Coating

Abstract

Variations of the morphology and field-emission properties of surface-structured n- and p-type silicon wafers have been studied. The silicon surface has been structured by etching in a fluorine–carbon plasma and depositing subnanodimensional island carbon masks. It has been shown that surface structuring in a fluorine–carbon plasma makes it possible to reach desired field-emission currents in electric fields of different strengths. Physicochemical models of field emission mechanisms and models of destruction of surface-modified multipoint silicon array cathodes have been considered.