Field Emission Characteristics of BN Films Treated with H2 and O2 Plasma

BN films were synthesized on the (100)-oriented surface of n-Si (0.008-0.02Ωm) by rf magnetron sputtering physical vapor deposition (PVD). A BN film was first treated with H2 plasma for 60 rain and then the H2 treated sample was treated with O2 plasma for 15rain. The films were characterizes by using Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The field emission characteristics of BN films were measured in an ultrahigh vacuum system. A turn-on electric field of 8 V/μm and a current of 400μA/cm^2 were obtained for the BN film treated with H2 plasma. The results show that the surface plasma treatment makes no apparent influence on the surface morphology of the BN films. The transformations of the sample emission characteristics have to do with the surface negative electron affinity (NEA) of the films possibly. The turn-on electric field of the BN film treated with H2 plasma is lower than that without treatment, which possibly attributes to the surface NEA effect. The surface NEA of the H2 treated BN film is lost after O2 plasma treatment.