Abstract:
A current limiter for flat panel field emission display devices is disclosed. The current limiter includes a vertical resistor (22) and a lateral resistor (21) which in combination provide uniform emission and blow-out protection. The current limiter consists of two layers (21, 22) of different resistive materials. The resistivity for the top layer is determined by the emission current density requirement and the geometric configuration of the device, including emitter base and pitch dimensions, emitter density per array and the resistive film thickness. This top layer resistor conducts vertically and helps prevent emitters with slightly lower emission thresholds from delaying the turn-on of other emitters within a pixel. Intra-pixel individual emitter resistance is substantially controlled by the vertical resistive layer (22), while the blow-out resistance and inter-pixel uniformity is controlled primarily by the lateral resistive layer (21).
Abstract:
An electron-emitting device employs a multi-layer resistor (46). A lower layer (48) of the resistor overlies an emitter electrode (42). An electron-emissive element (54) overlies an upper layer (50) of the resistor. The two resistive layers are of different chemical composition. The upper resistive layer is typically formed with cermet. The lower resistive layer is typically formed with a silicon-carbon compound. In fabricating the device, the upper resistive layer normally serves as an etch stop for protecting the lower resistive layer and the emitter electrode during the etch of an overlying dielectric layer (52) to form an opening (56) in which the electron-emissive element is later provided.
Abstract:
A field emitter device formed by a veil process wherein a protective layer including a release layer is deposited on a gate electrode layer (62) for the device, the protective layer overlaying the circumscribing peripheral edge of the opening of the gate electrode layer (62) to protect the edge of the gate electrode layer (62) during etching of a field emitter cavity (72) in a dielectric material layer (30) on a substrate (12) and during the formation of a field emitter element (40) in the cavity by depositing a field emitter material through the opening (72). The protective layer is readily removed subsequent to completion of the cavity etching formation steps, to yield the field emitter device. The field emission device further includes a current limiter composition (14) for permitting high frequency emission of electrons from the field emitter element (40) at low turn-on voltage.
Abstract:
A field electron emission material comprises an electrically conductive substrate (13, 14) and, disposed thereon, electrically conductive particles (11) embedded in, formed in, or coated by a layer of inorganic electrically insulating material (12) (e.g. glass). A first thickness (15) of the insulating material is defined between each particle (11) and the substrate (13, 14) and a second thickness (15) of the insulating material is defined between the particle (11) and the environment in which the material is disposed. The dimension of each particle (11) between the first and second thicknesses (15) is significantly greater than each thickness (15). Upon application of a sufficient electric field, each thickness (15) provides a conducting channel, to afford electron emission from the particles (11). By use of an inorganic insulating material (12), surprisingly good stability and performance have been obtained. The particles (11) can be relatively small, such that the electron emitting material (11, 12) can be applied to the substrate (13, 14) quite cheaply by a variety of methods, including printing. The material can be used in a variety of devices, including display and illuminating devices.
Abstract:
A field emitter device comprises a dielectric anodic aluminium oxide layer having pores filled with wires the front ends of which constitute individual field emitting cathodes, a gate electrode overlying a front surface of the layer, and an address electrode overlying a back surface of the layer and in electrical contact with the wires. The problem of short circuit between the gate electrode and the field emitter is overcome by cleaning the pore walls adjacent the gate electrode and/or by selectively dissolving the back ends of individual wires.
Abstract:
In one electron-emitting device, non-insulating particle bonding material (24) securely bonds electron-emissive carbon-containing particles (22) to an underlying non-insulating region (12). The carbon in each carbon-containing particle is in the form of diamond, graphite, amorphous carbon, or/and silicon carbide. In another electron-emitting device, electron-emissive pillars (22/28) overlie a non-insulating region (12). Each pillar is formed with an electron-emissive particle (22) and an underlying non-conductive pedestal (28). Various techniques, including use of electron-emissive particles as etch masks in the case of the pillared electron emitter, are employed in fabricating the electron emitters.
Abstract:
A method for producing microdot emitting cathodes on silicon for compact flat screens, and the products obtained by means of said method, are disclosed. According to the method, the emitting cathodes are made from a basic monolithic silicon substrate (1) consisting of a thick wafer (at least 300 microns) or a thin film a few microns thick on an insulating substrate (alumina or glass), the silicon film being "active" in both cases. The method is useful in the field of flat display screens based on the physical phenomenon of cathodoluminescence and field effect electron emission, and in all industrial sectors using compact display screens, e.g. video camera viewfinders, calculators, monitoring devices of all kinds, vehicles, watches and clocks, etc.
Abstract:
An integrally controlled field emission device display (100, 110) employing planar field emission devices as controlling elements for non-planar field emission devices utilized for excitation of a cathodoluminescent layer is provided.
Abstract:
The invention concerns a method for producing a triode-type cathode structure including steps for depositing and steps for etching a cathode layer to transform it to cathode conductors; a grid layer to transform it into grid conductors; an electrically insulating layer and the grid conductors until a resistive layer is achieved to provide cavities; cathode conductors to provide them with an open-work structure at the intersection of the cathode conductors and the grid conductors. The invention is characterized in that the steps for etching the grid conductors and the electrically insulating layer consist in: a) depositing a resin layer on the grid layer; b) patterning the resin layer by means of lithography to obtain emissive pads; c) etching the structured grid layer into grid conductors, based on the pattern; d) etching the insulating layer underlying the grid layer by enlarging the etching beyond the emissive pads; e) etching the grid layer at the zones exposed by etching the insulating layer until the resin layer is reached; f) depositing a catalyst layer into the openings of the resin layer so as to form the emissive pads at the base of the cavity; g) removing the resin layer.
Abstract:
The invention concerns a method for making nanostructures (104) on a support, characterized in that it includes the following steps: providing a support comprising, on one of its surfaces, a surface layer (101); covering the surface layer with a catalyst layer (102) structured in a pattern which causes areas of the surface layer covered by the catalyst and areas of the surface layer not covered by the catalyst layer to be visible; etching the thickness of the surface layer (101) in the zones not covered by the catalyst layer; selectively growing nanostructures (104) on the areas of the surface layer covered by the catalyst. The invention enables cathode structures having electrically independent nanostructures to be produced as well.