Fabrication of free-standing highly conducting ultrananocrystalline diamond films with enhanced electron field emission properties.

Fabrication of free-standing/highly conducting ultrananocrystalline diamond (fc-UNCD) films at low growth temperature (<475 °C) is demonstrated. The fc-UNCD films show high conductivity of σ = 146 (Ω cm)-1 with superior electron field emission (EFE) properties, viz. low turn-on field of 4.35 V/μm and high EFE current density of 3.76 mA/cm2 at an applied field of 12.5 V/μm. Transmission electron microscopy examinations reveal the presence of Au/Cu clusters in film-to-substrate interface, which consequences in the induction of nanographite phases, surrounding the diamond grains that form conduction channels for electrons transport, ensuing in marvelous EFE properties of fc-UNCD films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]