Dependence of emission characteristics of Spindt-type field emitters on cathode material

We fabricated Spindt-type field emitters with four kinds of cathode material Au, Ni, Pt, and Mo.and estimated the emission characteristics. The Pt emitter showed the best emission characteristics with the lowest operating voltage and the most stable emission among the four kinds of emitters. The difference of the operating voltage among the cathode material is attributed to the emitter shape. The reason the Pt emitter showed stable emission is its inert surface. Pt is a promising material for Spindt-type field emitters from the cone shape, melting point, and inert surface. q1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.