N-TYPE, HIGHLY TETRAHEDRAL AMORPHOUS CARBON FIELD EMITTERS FOR FLAT PANEL DISPLAYS

Implant Sciences Corporation (ISC) proposes a 6-month, Phase I program to evaluate phosphorus doped tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) as thin film field emitters for large area, flat panel displays. Deposition of carbon by the energetic filtered cathodic arc process produces material unlike any other allotrope of carbon. ta-C is non-hydrogenated, exhibits high sp3 bonding (up to 90%), and has a density (3.26g/cc) and hardness (95 GPa) approaching those of diamond. Films of ta-C should not be confused with either DLC films or amorphic diamond films. Their properties are quite inferior to ta-C. Doping of ta-C is done during film growth; the source of phosphorus is a graphite phosphorus cathode used in the arc deposition process.