Field Electron Emission of Hafnium Carbide

Hafnium carbide, or HfC, is a robust material whose high melting point makes it an advantageous electron source for a variety of uses, including imaging. This research focused on the effects of an applied field at high temperature on HfC crystals, which induces a faceting effect over time. The cause of this faceting was studied to determine whether it could be correlated to evaporation or self-diffusion during use. The method for electrochemically etching hafnium carbide cathodes was also optimized, and the crystallographic geometry of the tip surfaces was studied using field emission microscopy.