Title :
Field-emitter arrays for vacuum microelectronics
Author :
Spindt, C.A. ; Holland, C.E. ; Rosengreen, A. ; Brodie, Ivor
Author_Institution :
SRI Int., Menlo Park, CA, USA
fDate :
10/1/1991 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
An ongoing program on microfabricated field-emitter arrays has produced a gated field-emitter tip structure with submicrometer dimensions and techniques for fabricating emitter arrays with tip packaging densities of up to 1.5×107 tips/cm2. Arrays have been fabricated over areas varying from a few micrometers up to 13 cm in diameter. Very small overall emitter size, materials selection, and rigorous emitter-tip processing procedures have contributed to reducing the potential required for field emission to tens of volts. Emission current densities of up to 100 A/cm 2 have been achieved with small arrays of tips, and 100-mA total emission is commonly produced with arrays 1 mm in diameter containing 10000 tips. Transconductances of 5.0 μS per tip have been demonstrated, indicating that 50 S/cm2 should be achievable with tip densities of 107 tips/cm2. Details of the cathode arrays and a variety of performance characteristics are discussed
Keywords :
electron field emission; vacuum microelectronics; 1 mm to 13 cm; 100 mA; 5 muS; cathode arrays; emission current densities; emitter-tip processing procedures; field emission voltage; gated field-emitter tip structure; large arrays of tips; materials selection; microfabricated field-emitter arrays; performance characteristics; small arrays of tips; small overall emitter size; submicrometer dimensions; tip densities; tip packaging densities; transconductance; vacuum microelectronics; Cathodes; Current density; Electron sources; Field emitter arrays; Insulation; Microelectronics; Silicon; Sputtering; Substrates; Vacuum technology;
Journal_Title :
Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on
