Thermionic Emission of Diamond Using Laser as a Heat Source

Abstract

Preliminary experimentation shows diamond emits electrons at high temperature through a phenomenon known as thermionic emission. This thesis details an experiment to quantify the thermionic emission of a diamond on silicon vacuum cathode at high temperatures and to test the efficiency of thermal heating as a means of emission. Using a pulsed laser as a heat source for the cathode, experiments were run to determine the emission characteristics of both a diamond-coated silicon cathode and a bare silicon cathode. The results of each device are compared. Results of the experiment show a thermionic emission characteristic following a Schottky emission plot for each device. An Arrhenius plot was made from Richardson’s equation to show the activation energy required for the diamond on silicon device to make a transition from silicon emission to diamond emission.