Electron field emission from SiC/Si heterostructures synthesized by carbon implantation using a metal vapor vacuum arc ion source

A remarkably low turn-on field of about 1 V/mu m has been observed in electron field emission from planar SiC/Si heterostructures formed by high dose C implantation into Si using a metal vapor vacuum are ion source. An implant energy of 35 keV was used to a dose of 1.0 x 10(18) ions/cm(2) with subsequent annealing in nitrogen at 1200 degrees C for 2 h. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that a thin surface stoichiometric SiC layer, with a thickness of about 150 nm, had been formed. Atomic force microscopy showed that there are densely distributed small protrusions formed on the surface. The formation of a thin surface stoichiometric SiC layer and the formation of densely distributed small protrusions on the surface are believed to be the two factors responsible for the efficient electron field emission. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.