Abstract: The present invention provides an electron emitting device for efficiently emitting electron beams by applying a forward bias to an MIS, pn, and a pin structure using a diamond layer so as to supply electrons from an electron supply layer to a p-type diamond layer. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for easily and efficiently performing important production processes for producing a highly efficient electron emitting device having a diamond layer and controlling a surface state of the diamond layer. A multi-layer structure including an electrode layer, an electron supply layer and a diamond layer is used as the structure thereof. Alternatively, the electron affinity state of the surface of the diamond layer is arbitrarily controlled by a method such as ultraviolet ray irradiation.

Abstract: Cluster particles including a plurality of molecules or atoms are prepared by a gas cluster method, are accelerated, and are then irradiated onto a diamond in a low pressure atmosphere, so that the unevenness surfaces of the diamond are smoothed with no damages in the diamond. The cluster particles are prepared by the steps of forming, ionizing, mass-separating, and accelerating cluster particles. The cluster particles with a certain energy are irradiated onto the surface of the diamond. Irradiated cluster particles collide with the surface of the diamond, and then break apart into each molecule or atom while changing momentum (direction and speed) or energy. Thus, the surface of the diamond is efficiently smoothed and etched.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor thin film is initiated with preparing a substrate having a surface consisting of a single crystal of Si. The surface has an oxide film. Then, the oxide film is removed. The dangling bonds of the Si atoms on the surface are terminated with hydrogen atoms. An initial layer is formed on the substrate of the single crystal of Si terminated with the hydrogen atoms, of at least one selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga, and In. A buffer layer containing at least In and Sb is formed on the initial layer. A semiconductor thin film containing at least In and Sb is formed on the buffer layer at a temperature higher than the temperature at which the buffer layer is started to be formed. There is also disclosed a method of fabricating a Hall-effect device. This method is initiated with forming a semiconductor thin film by making use of the above-described fabrication method. Then, electrodes are attached to the thin film.

Abstract: Semiconductor diamond is formed by a process comprising irradiating diamond crystal with light having irradiation density of more than 0.1 W/cm.sup.2, annihilating defects in the diamond crystals, and cleaning the surface of the diamond crystals.

Abstract: A hard carbon film (12) is formed by ion-beam sputtering on a surface of a substrate (11) such as glass lens or metal sheet of a magnetic disk or a plastic film of a magnetic video tape, by selecting the direction of the ion-beam in the sputtering process to be parallel with surface of the substrate (11) of a magnetic disk, and subsequently theroen a lubricative film (13), such as ZnS.sub.2 is formed also by ion-beam sputtering.

Abstract: A diamond-like hard carbon film is formed on a substrate by impinging particles of carbon onto a surface of the substrate, bombarding the surface of the substrate with accelerated particles of inert gas or particles of carbon together with hydrogen in a direction not more than 10 degrees out of parallel to the surface so that the particles of carbon aggregate on the surface, at room temperature.

Abstract: An optical switch comprising a transparent prism having a light input surface and a light output surface, and a reflective control layer having a refractive index higher than that of said prism and a thickness not smaller than the wavelength of the light applied to the optical valve. The reflective control layer is constituted by a thin film of electrooptical material or a thin film of a heat-sensitive optical material. When the reflective control layer is made of an electrooptical material, the optical valve can selectively reflect or transmit the light by controlling the electric field applied to the reflective control layer. When the heat-sensitive material is used as the material of the reflective control layer, a similar switching function can be attained by controlling an electric current supplied to a heat generating member attached to the reflective control layer.