Uniform High-Current Cathodes Using Massive Arrays of Si Field Emitters Individually Controlled by Vertical Si Ungated FETs—Part 1: Device Design and Simulation

Author

Velásquez-García, Luis Fernando ; Guerrera, Stephen A. ; Niu, Ying ; Akinwande, Akintunde Ibitayo

Author_Institution

Microsyst. Technol. Labs. (MTL), Massachusetts Inst. of Technol., Cambridge, MA, USA

Volume

58

Issue

6

fYear

2011

fDate

6/1/2011 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1775

Lastpage

1782

Abstract

In this paper, we report the design and simulation of electron sources composed of arrays of Si field emitters (FEs) that are individually ballasted by a current source. Each FE is fabricated on top of a vertical ungated field-effect transistor (FET), a two-terminal device based on a very-high-aspect-ratio Si column. The ungated FET takes advantage of the velocity saturation of electrons in silicon, the high aspect ratio of the ungated FET, and the doping concentration of the semiconductor to achieve current-source-like behavior. The proposed technology can be used to implement cathodes capable of reliable uniform and high current emission.

Keywords

cathodes; electron sources; elemental semiconductors; field effect transistors; field emitter arrays; semiconductor doping; silicon; current source; electron sources; field emitter; high current emission; massive arrays; semiconductor doping concentration; two-terminal device; ungated FET; uniform high-current cathode; velocity saturation; vertical ungated field-effect transistor; very-high-aspect-ratio Si column; Cathodes; Electronic ballasts; FETs; Iron; Logic gates; Resistance; Silicon; Ballasting; Si field emission arrays (FEAs); cathodes; electron supply control; vertical ungated Si field-effect transistors (FETs);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9383

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TED.2011.2128322

Filename

5765491