Field emission characteristics of chromium silicide (Cr3Si) and chromium silicide-silicon oxide cermet on copper and Mo tips

Many attempts have been made to improve the electron emission characteristics of cold cathode field emitters. Field emitter arrays are very important for the application of flat panel displays. However, there have been some problems associated with metal field emitters including instability and low emission currents. There have been many attempts to solve these problems in order to make field emitter arrays more feasible. Thin films have previously been deposited on nanotips to lower the turn-on voltage and increase the electron emission. A cermet consisting of chromium silicide and silica has been deposited onto Mo and Cu tips to increase the emission current and improve the current stability.