Electron field emission from self-organized micro-emitters of sp3-bonded 5H boron nitride with very high current density at low electric field

Electron field emission with high current density similar to0.9 A/cm(2) at a low electric field of 8.6 V/mum was achieved by self-organized cone-shaped emitters with dimensions on the order of similar to10 mum made of sp(3)-bonded 5H boron nitride, which was grown by plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition with the assistance of 193 nm laser irradiation of the surface. The work function of this material proved to be similar to5 eV, whereas the geometrical field enhancement factor amounts to similar to10(6) cm(-1). The known robustness of sp(3)-bonded BN with its excellent electron emission characteristics and the self-organization of emitter shaped structures may provide new applications for electron emitting devices.