2.3: Field emission in air between iridium-iridium oxide diode tips

We report on the fabrication and field emission properties of lithographic iridium-iridium oxide diodes operating in air, with gaps around 100 nm. Field emission currents of up to 1 μA were found, with signatures of Fowler-Nordhiem tunneling, space-charge limited emission, and possibly charging of the underlying oxide. Post field emission imaging showed surprisingly modest levels of damage, despite biases of around 200 V applied.