Field Emission Properties of Nano-DLC Films Prepared on Cu Substrates by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Nano-diamond like carbon (DLC) thin films were prepared on fused silica and Cu substrates by the pulsed-laser deposition technique with different laser intensities. Step-measurement, atomic force microscope (AFM), UV-VIS-NIR transmittance spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the films. It was shown that the deposition rate increases with the laser intensity, and the films prepared under different laser intensities show different transparency. Raman measurement showed that the content of sp³ of the Nano-DLC thin films decreases with the laser intensity. The field emission properties of the Nano-DLC thin films on Cu substrates were studied by the conventional diode method, which showed that the turn-on field increases and the current density decreases with sp³ content in the films. A lower turn-on field of 6 V/um and a higher current density of 1 uA/cm² were obtained for Nano-DLC thin films on Cu substrate.