Field emission from electrodeposited metal dendrite arrays

Silicon and molybdenum are two of the most common field emission cathode materials, especially for flat panel display applications. Arrays of emitters using molybdenum and silicon are due largely to the microfabrication technology proposed first by Spindt (1968) and Gray (1982). In the present research, field emitter arrays fabricated from electrodeposited tin are tested. Tin is not an ideal emitter material, because of its low melting temperature (232/spl deg/C), but the procedures for fabricating needle-shaped field emitters by electrodeposition are adaptable to other metals.