Microstructural and Electron-Emission Characteristics of Nb-Si-N Films in Surface-Conduction Electron-Emitter Display

We proposed ternary nitride Nb-Si-N film as a promising surface-conduction electron emitter (SCE) in surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED). Nb-Si-N films consisted of continuous NbN polycrystalline phase with (Si3-xNb4x)N4 amorphous phase in NbN grain boundaries. After electroforming, serrated nanogaps were observed in Nb-Si-N SCE strips. The emission current of Nb-Si-N SCE array of 1×18 cells was 6.50 μA with anode voltage of 1.5 kV and device voltage of 22 V, indicating satisfying potential for display applications comparing with NbN SCEs. © 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.