Abstract
In order to investigate field emission mechanism of undoped polycrystalline diamond films, diamond films with different structural properties were deposited by varying positive substrate bias and/or $CH_4$ concentration. When increasing $CH_4$ concentration and positive substrate bias voltage, nondiamond carbon content in diamond films increased. Increase of nondiamond carbon content with increasing substrate voltage is ascribed to increase of substrate and excess generation of $CH_n$ radicals. Field emission properties of undoped polycrystalline diamond films ere significantly enhanced with increasing nondiamond carbon content. For diamond films with a small amount of nondiamond carbon, electrons are emitted through diamond surface while for the films with a large amount of nondiamond carbon, electron emission occurs through diamond bulk as well as surface. From this study, depending on nondiamond carbon content two field emission mechanisms were suggested.