Characterization of field emission from oxidized copper emitters

Abstract In this work, the field electron emission from oxidized copper emitters was studied by aging with radii in the range of 80–300 nm. The samples were prepared by an electrochemical etching method using an H3PO4 solution. The samples were exposed to air for 30 d to form an oxide film owing to aging. Measurements were carried out under high vacuum conditions in the range of 10 −6 mbar. Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM- EDS) was used to calculate the emitter radius, study the purity of the samples, and detect the oxide layers. Current–voltage (I-V) characteristics were studied and analyzed using Murphy-Goode (MG) plots and rectification tests. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of the electron emission and current stability were recorded and used to analyze the electron emission behavior of the tip surface. The trap density was also studied when the oxide layer was 3 layers thick. The results show that the emitters passed the orthodoxy test at low voltages. It was found that traps play an important role in increasing the switch-on current as the area of the oxide layer increases. It was found that the emitter acts as a point capacitor based on the charging and discharging processes of the electrons in the traps. The emission pattern showed great stability, which opens up prospects for this type of emitter in industry.