title: Enhanced optoelectronic performances of vertically aligned hexagonal boron nitride nanowalls-nanocrystalline diamond heterostructures.
abstract: Field electron emission (FEE) properties of vertically aligned hexagonal boron nitride nanowalls (hBNNWs) grown on Si have been markedly enhanced through the use of nitrogen doped nanocrystalline diamond (nNCD) films as an interlayer. The FEE properties of hBNNWs-nNCD heterostructures show a low turn-on field of 15.2 V/μm, a high FEE current density of 1.48 mA/cm(2) and life-time up to a period of 248 min. These values are far superior to those for hBNNWs grown on Si substrates without the nNCD interlayer, which have a turn-on field of 46.6 V/μm with 0.21 mA/cm(2) FEE current density and life-time of 27 min. Cross-sectional TEM investigation reveals that the utilization of the diamond interlayer circumvented the formation of amorphous boron nitride prior to the growth of hexagonal boron nitride. Moreover, incorporation of carbon in hBNNWs improves the conductivity of hBNNWs. Such a unique combination of materials results in efficient electron transport crossing nNCD-to-hBNNWs interface and inside the hBNNWs that results in enhanced field emission of electrons. The prospective application of these materials is manifested by plasma illumination measurements with lower threshold voltage (370 V) and longer life-time, authorizing the role of hBNNWs-nNCD heterostructures in the enhancement of electron emission.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Materials Research (IMO), Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.|IMOMEC, IMEC vzw, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kamatchi Jothiramalingam
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Sankaran
authors.affiliation: Institute for Materials Research (IMO), Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.|IMOMEC, IMEC vzw, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Duc Quang
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Hoang
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, 30013 Hsinchu, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Srinivasu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kunuku
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT), University of Antwerp, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Korneychuk
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT), University of Antwerp, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Institute for Materials Research (IMO), Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.|IMOMEC, IMEC vzw, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Paulius
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pobedinskas
authors.affiliation: Institute for Materials Research (IMO), Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.|IMOMEC, IMEC vzw, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Drijkoningen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Materials Research (IMO), Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.|IMOMEC, IMEC vzw, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marlies K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Van Bael
authors.affiliation: Institute for Materials Research (IMO), Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.|IMOMEC, IMEC vzw, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: D' Haen
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT), University of Antwerp, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verbeeck
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, 30013 Hsinchu, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Keh-Chyang
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Leou
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Tamkang University, 251 Tamsui, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Nan
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Institute for Materials Research (IMO), Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.|IMOMEC, IMEC vzw, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haenen