Bistable characteristic and current jumps in field electron emission of nanocrystalline diamond films

Field electron emission of nanocrystalline diamond films with controllable grain size and graphite content, grown by microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition using N2/CH4/H2 as precursors is studied. When the microstructure of the films is uniform enough, the micro-scale switching behavior can even be amplified to macroscale.