Low-temperature CVD carbon coatings on glass plates for flat panel display applications

Low-temperature chemical vapour deposition processes were studied for coating carbon films on metal-coated glass plates. Thermal CVD in hydrocarbon mixtures was used for carbon deposition at temperatures between 300°C and 550°C. Carbon deposited on metal coated glass plates were examined by SEM and analyzed using a pin to disk setup in an ultra high vacuum chamber for measuring the electron emission characteristics. Using a one-millimeter diameter tungsten rod with a hemispherical tip as the anode while the carbon coatings as the cathode, current-voltage characteristics of the carbon coatings were measured and used for calculating the electric field at which electron emission started as well as calculating the field enhancement factor of the carbon coatings. Field emission of electrons from carbon coatings starting from an electric field as low as 1.4 volts per micrometer has been achieved.