Performance of field emission cathodes prepared from diamond nanoparticles

Nano-diamond field emission cathodes were fabricated using a two-step technique. A mixture of nano-diamond and nano-Ti powders was coated onto a Ti substrate using a spin-coating process, followed by the application of an annealing treatment to form a TiC phase. The effects of the annealing temperature and the number of coating layers on the electron field emission properties of the as-fabricated field emission cathodes were investigated. The samples fabricated under different conditions were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The differences in terms of the electron field emission properties were explained by a TiC network model. A higher temperature is necessary to form a continuous TiC network when a thicker coating is used on the field emission cathode. In contrast, for the thinner coating, a relatively low temperature is sufficient to form such a TiC network. Only a continuous TiC network coating can facilitate the passage of electrons through the coating and lead to emission.