Edge field emission of large-area single layer graphene

Field electron emission from the edges of large-area (similar to 1 cm x 1 cm) graphene films deposited onto quartz wafers was studied. The graphene was previously grown by chemical vapour deposition on copper. An extreme enhancement of electrostatic field at the edge of the films with macroscopically large lateral dimensions and with single atom thickness was achieved. This resulted in the creation of a blade type electron emitter, providing stable field emission at low-voltage with linear current density up to 0.5 mA/cm. A strong hysteresis in current-voltage characteristics and a step-like increase of the emission current during voltage ramp up were observed. These effects were explained by the local mechanical peeling of the graphene edge from the quartz substrate by the ponderomotive force during the field emission process. Specific field emission phenomena exhibited in the experimental study are explained by a unique combination of structural, electronic and mechanical properties of graphene. Various potential applications ranging from linear electron beam sources to microelectromechanical systems are discussed. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.