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Thermionic emission characterization of boron‐doped microcrystalline diamond films at elevated temperatures
Author(s) -
Paxton William F.,
Wade Travis,
Howell Mick,
Tolk Norman,
Kang Wang P.,
Davidson Jim L.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
physica status solidi (a)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1862-6319
pISSN - 1862-6300
DOI - 10.1002/pssa.201228114
Subject(s) - thermionic emission , diamond , work function , materials science , microcrystalline , common emitter , doping , analytical chemistry (journal) , boron , substrate (aquarium) , electron , chemistry , optoelectronics , metallurgy , physics , metal , crystallography , oceanography , organic chemistry , chromatography , quantum mechanics , geology
A boron‐doped polycrystalline diamond film was deposited on a molybdenum substrate and resistively heated in a high vacuum environment. The thermally excited emission current as a function of cathode temperature was measured. This phenomenon, known as thermionic emission, is characterized by electron emission arising from a surface at elevated temperatures and is described by the Richardson equation. The observed thermionic emission current from the diamond sample followed the Richardson equation from which a work function of 4.43 eV and a Richardson constant of ∼60 A/cm 2 K 2 were observed. This indicates boron‐doped polycrystalline diamond behaves as an interesting thermionic emitter for possible energy conversion and other electron emission applications.