Carbon films deposited at relatively low temperatures were studied as a coating for polysilicon substrates to provide enhancement of the electron field emission. Undoped and phosphor doped polysilicon substrates were coated by carbon films grown by a very high frequency chemical vapor deposition process. Critical process parameters include substrate temperature of 225 degrees C, pressure of 56 mTorr, loaded power of 2 W/cm(2), and discharge frequency of 56 MHz. The substrates were pretreated prior to film deposition, and bias enhanced nucleation was performed in hydrogen/C6H14 plasma. A carbon layer was grown to a thickness of 700 nm. Field emission measurements were Performed in an ultrahigh vacuum chamber equipped with an electron gun, a carousel for five samples, and a Faraday cup. A multigrid quasispheric energy analyzer was used for Anger electron spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy characterization. Additionally, before and after field emission measurements, the secondary emission coefficient sigma was measured by a scanning electron beam, which provided a two-dimensional sigma map of the sample surface. The field emission current was measured in a diode configuration using a spacer thickness of 45-55 mu m through a current collection window 2x5 mm(2). Emission current-voltage curves were measured from three different regions of every sample by shifting the current collection window over the sample. A surface conditioning effect was observed, resulting in stabilization and better reproducibility of the emission current-voltage characteristics. The most significant changes in emission characteristics were observed in undoped polysilicon substrates with carbon coatings. Low deposition temperatures make this coating process very attractive because of its compatibility with addressing circuitry based on either silicon or poly-, microcrystalline, or amorphous silicon.