Thin-film-edge emitter vacuum microelectronics devices for lamp/backlight applications

We report the feasibility of thin-film-edge field emitter devices as electron sources in a high brightness cathodoluminescent lamp to be used as a backlight in AMLCD displays. This lamp promises to be of high brightness, high luminous efficiency, and temperature invariant with uniform diffuse light output. The thin-film-edge field emitter array lamp requires less electronic control circuitry than conventional fluorescent backlights, leading to lower system costs. A thin-film-edge field emitter backlight would consist of a two-dimensional array of thin-film-edge field emitter microstructures and a cathodoluminescent phosphor screen. Thin-film gate electrodes and a thin-film deflector electrode control the emission current from the thin-film emitter edge and deflect the electrons toward the phosphor screen. The configuration of these electrodes is designed to prevent ion sputtering damage to the emitter edge. This allows a high voltage (e.g. 20 kV) to be applied to the phosphor screen, so that an aluminized phosphor with high luminous efficiency and long coulomb lifetime can be used. This paper describes the design and operation of the thin-film-edge field emitters. Field emission measurements from these structures are presented.