Field electron emission characteristic of graphene

Abstract

The field electron emission current from graphene is calculated analytically on a semiclassical model. The unique electronic energy band structure of graphene and the field penetration in the edge from which electrons emit have been taken into account. The relation between the effective vacuum barrier height and the applied field is obtained. The calculated slope of the Fowler-Nordheim plot of the current-field characteristic is in agreement with existing experiments. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.