title: Nanoshaping field emitters from glassy carbon sheets: a new functionality induced by H-plasma etching.
abstract: This paper reports on the morphological and electrical characterization at the nanometer scale and the investigation of the field emission characteristics of glassy carbon (GC) plates which underwent H-induced physical/chemical processes occurring in a dual-mode MW-RF plasma reactor. Plasma treatment produced on the GC surface arrays of vertically aligned conically shaped nanostructures, with density and height depending on the plasma characteristics. Two kinds of samples obtained under two different bias regimes have been deeply analyzed using an AFM apparatus equipped with tools for electric forces and surface potential measurements. The features of electron emission via the Field Emission (FE) mechanism have been correlated with the morphology and the structure at the nanoscale of the treated glassy carbon samples. The measured current density and the characteristics of the emission, which follow the Fowler-Nordheim law, indicate that the plasma-based methodology utilized for the engineering of the GC surfaces is able to turn conventional GC plates into efficient emission devices. The outstanding properties of GC suggest the use of such nanostructured materials for the assembling of cold cathodes to be used in a harsh environment and under extreme P/T conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy and HORIBA Italia S.r.l., Viale Luca Gaurico 209/211, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gay
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Orlanducci
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering, SAPIENZA University of Rome, Via A. Scarpa 16, 00161 Rome, Italy. daniele.passeri@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: D
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8189-1359
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Passeri
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering, SAPIENZA University of Rome, Via A. Scarpa 16, 00161 Rome, Italy. daniele.passeri@uniroma1.it and Research Center for Nanotechnology Applied to Engineering of SAPIENZA University of Rome (CNIS), Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Terranova