Field emission characteristics of CoSi2/TaN-coated silicon emitter tips

This work has improved the emission characteristics of Si emitter tips by coating a CoSi/sub 2//TaN bilayer on the tips. The CoSi/sub 2/ layer was grown in situ by a reactive chemical-vapor deposition of cyclopentadienyl dicarbonyl cobalt at 650/spl deg/C. The TaN was then deposited on the CoSi/sub 2/ layer at 550/spl deg/C by a reactive sputtering of Ta with N as a reactive gas. The CoSi/sub 2//TaN-coated emitters showed a lower turn-on voltage and higher emission current than the CoSi/sub 2/- or TaN-coated emitters due to the low work function by TaN and the easy transport of electron by CoSi/sub 2/ with low resistivity. The long-term emission stability of CoSi/sub 2//TaN-coated Si emitter was as good as TaN-coated emitter.