A comparison of the field emission characteristics of vertically aligned graphene sheets grown on different SiC substrates

The field emission (FE) properties of vertically aligned graphene sheets (VAGSs) grown on different SiC substrates are reported. The VAGSs grown on nonpolar SiC (10–10) substrate show an ordered alignment with the graphene basal plane-parallel to each other, and show better FE features, with a lower turn-on field and a larger field enhancement factor. The VAGSs grown on polar SiC (000-1) substrate reveal a random petaloid-shaped arrangement and stable current emission over 8 hours with a maximum emission current fluctuation of only 4%. The reasons behind the differing FE characteristics of the VAGSs on different SiC substrates are analyzed and discussed. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)