Centers of cold electron emission from molybdenum thin films

Thin-film semiconductor devices and functional metal-oxide-semiconductor structures have drawn attention as being applicable for on-chip electronics. Similar structures, however, were also reported to be promising as efficient sources of electrons. This paper presents the results of scanning electron microscopy analysis of molybdenum thin films capable of low-macroscopic-field electron emission. Supposedly, the images show the centres of cold-field emission at different stages of their life cycles from activation to destruction. It is assumed that initially continuous Mo films experience dewetting under heating and ion bombardment, which are caused by the emission current flow. The results contribute to understanding the mechanism of low-field emission from thin metal films, which seems to be different from those previously proposed for thin carbon coatings.