Stable emission from a MOSFET-structured emitter tip in poor vacuum

We report the operation of Metal-Oxide-Silicon Field-Effect-Transistor MOSFET.structured silicon filed emitters under poor vacuum conditions. The MOSFET-structured field emitter consists of a field emitter tip and a built-in MOSFET. Measurements in various gases were performed at pressures between 10y9 and 10y5 Torr. Emission currents of conventional Si field emitter tips were not stable due to the adsorption of the residual gas and the ion bombardment to the tip. In the MOSFET-structured emitter, the fluctuation of emission currents in each gas was fully suppressed and the current was very stable. This emitter tip kept stable emission even at pressure of 10y5 Torr. q1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.