Emission characterization from nitrogen-doped diamond with respect to energy conversion

Contributors:   Franz A.M. Koeck and Robert J. Nemanich

ABSTRACT

Vacuum thermionic energy converters utilize electron emissive materials as a key component in the transformation of thermal into electrical energy. Electron emission from nitrogen-doped diamond films was characterized with respect to the thermionic emission relation derived by Richardson–Dushman. Key parameters, which describe the emitter material, are the work function φ and the Richardson constant A. A fitting procedure has been employed to determine φ and A for nitrogen-doped diamond. However, a simultaneous solution to the Richardson–Dushman relation was limited due to the strongly coupled parameters φ and A. Additionally, the emission was characterized at various applied fields indicating a change in the electronic structure of the material contrary to classical thermionic emitters.

Publisher: Diamond and Related Materials,   Volume: 15,   217-220 ||  Published: 2006-01 ||   PDF (175.69 KB) ||   Read more...