HfNxOy thin films were deposited on Si substrates by direct current sputtering at room temperature. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). SEM indicates that the film is composed of nanoparticles. AFM indicates that there are no sharp protrusions on the surface of the film. XRD pattern shows that the films are amorphous. The field electron emission properties of the film were also characterized. The turn-on electric field is about 14 V/mu m at the current density of 10 mu A/cm(2), and at the electric field of 24 V/mu m, the current density is up to 1 mA/cm(2). The field electron emission mechanism of the HfNxOy thin film is also discussed. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.