Field emission from graphene produced with use of chemical vapor deposition method

• Published in: IEEE transactions on dielectrics and electrical insulation Vol. 22; no. 6; pp. 3498 - 3504
• Main Authors: Mazurek, Bolesław, Mielcarek, Witold, Warycha, Joanna, Prociow, Krystyna, Chmielowiec, Jacek, Znamierowski, Zbigniew, Popko, Ewa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01-12-2015; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Anodes; Cathodes; Chemical vapor deposition; Copper; CVD method; Deposition; electric breakdown; Electric fields; electrodes; electron emission; Emission; Graphene; Surface chemistry; Surface discharges; Surface treatment; vacuum insulation
• ISSN: 1070-9878; 1558-4135
• DOI: 10.1109/TDEI.2015.005168

The influence of graphene deposition on emission spectrum of Cu electrodes was investigated. In this order the two types of samples were prepared: one from a pure copper plate, and one from a copper plate covered with graphene. The graphene has been obtained using Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) method. The analysis of I=f(E) and Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) characteristics showed that a graphene layer uniformly deposited on a cathode, parallel to its surface creates a shielding for microprotrusions which causes a decrease of electric field and, consequently, the β coefficient. This occurs regardless whether the sample surface had been etched before graphene deposition or not. The F-N characteristics showed that the cathode emission mechanism is changing with the increase of field intensity. Initially, the emission current is blocked by a surface adsorption layer. With further increase of the field intensity, up the Eth value, a typical F- N mechanism occurs until microdischarges appear. As a result of microdischarges, under the influence of cathode potential, electrons are emitted, which bombard the anode. This current has a form of pulses repeated approximately every 4.5 ns until plasma is created on anode, what is in fact equivalent to a breakdown.