With the development of micromachining and integration techniques, SiNWs, firstly fabricated in 1964, exhibit good FE property through the effort made by the researchers. Huq et al fabricated the ultra sharp silicon field emitters, which had relatively high and stable emission current. Zeng et al improved the field emission property of the SiNWs fabricated by CVD method with post-annealing the samples at high temperature for 24 hours. On the other hand, modification with sputtering thin films is an efficient approach to the development of the FE of SiNWs. In this paper, structures and field emission properties of silicon nanowire arrays (SiNWs), which were fabricated by using electroless-chemical etching method and post-implanted by using energetic carbon ion with an average energy of 20keV and various doses, have been investigated. Structure analysis of SEM and XPS shows that SiC compound has been formed at the top of SiNWs and SiC composite amorphous Si nanostructure/SiNW heterostructures have been obtained. Compared to as-grown SiNWs, the C ion irradiated SiNWs had better field emission properties. The turn-on field and the applied field at which electron emission current density is 100μA/cm2, are reduced from 5.01 V/μm and 5.93 V/μm for as-grown SiNWs to 4.45 V/μm and 5.40 V/μm respectively for that implanted with a dose of  1×10¹⁶/cm2. However, large implanting amounts produced serious structural damage at the top of the nanowires, and impaired the field emission characteristics. The influence of C ion implantation on the structures and field emission properties of SiNWs are discussed.

Shao-long Wu, Beijing Normal University, China
Fei Zhao, Beijing Normal University, China
Dan-dan Zhao, Beijing Normal University, China
Jian-hua Deng, Beijing Normal University, China
Guo-an Cheng*, Beijing Normal University, China
Rui-ting Zheng, Beijing Normal University, China

*presenting author