Influence of the DC Substrate Bias on the Filed Emission of Amorphous Carbon Nitride Films Deposited on Silicon Tips Arrays

Amorphous carbon nitride films were deposited on silicon tip arrays by rf magnetron sputtering in pure nitrogen atmosphere. Effect of DC substrate negative bias on electron filed emission properties of as-deposited carbon nitride films was investigated. The field emission property of carbon nitride films on tips was compared with that on silicon wafer. The result shows carbon nitride films deposited on tips possess a stable field emission with lower threshold field, which is more excellent than that on wafer. This result has relation to the change of the local curvature and geometry of the films surface. But DC substrate bias will reduce the filed emission property of carbon nitride films on silicon tips during deposition, which can explained that the bias causes a blunter silicon tips due to the damage by high-energy ions bombardment during increasing substrate bias. On the other hand, the effective work function of the films is increased with DC substrate bias, which indicates the decrease of electron field emission of the films.