Nanodiamond lateral field emitter devices on thick insulator substrates for reliable high power applications

Nanocrystalline diamond field emitter array devices on a thick insulator substrate are being developed for high power applications. These monolithic lateral emitter diodes in comb array configurations demonstrate potential for high emission current applications. A 640 μm-thick aluminium nitride insulating substrate has been integrated with nanodiamond for device electrode isolation. The fabrication process and preliminary field emission characterization results are discussed. The nanodiamond lateral vacuum device may be a superior way to achieve reliable high-speed and high-power electronics.