Field Emission Properties of Highly Conductive Diamond-Like Carbon Layers

Diamond and diamond-like carbon (DLC) have potential as next-generation cathode materials due to their exceptional electron-emitting properties. The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS Dresden has fabricated novel metal-doped DLC layers with remarkable conductivity and a nanostructured surface, which present promising prospects for practical applications. We conducted an extensive investigation of the field emission characteristics of these DLC layers using a spherical anode, and comparatively measured conventional DLC coatings. Field emission measurements show unexpected results, with the best emission properties observed in high-resistance DLC layers. Our findings suggest the possibility of fabricating quite efficient DLC emitters by activating large areas of ta-C layers.