Abstract:
In accordance with the invention, a field emission device is made by disposing emitter material on an insulating substrate, applying masking particles to the emitter material, applying an insulating film and a gate conductor film over the masking particles and emitter material and removing the particles to reveal a random distribution of apertures to the emitter material. The result is a novel and economical field emission device having numerous randomly distributed emission apertures which can be used to make low cost flat panel displays.
Abstract:
The invention relates to the structure of a field emitter device, to the method of fabricating a field emitter device and to the use of the field emitter device in the technical field of flat panel displays. The field emission device comprises an array (1) of widely-spaced tips (2) for emitting electrons and a perforated extracting electrode (3) facing the array of tips. An individual series resistor is formed by each of said tips itself. The widely-spaced tips are not surrounded by a layer of electrically insulating material. The tips are not surrounded by an insulating layer and the tip end is not surrounded by a gate or extraction electrode. This avoids failures like shorts between the cathode electrode and the gate or extraction electrode which could occur due to inaccurate coating or etching processes, and enhances the reliability and the life-time of the array of tips. To fabricate the field emission device, a micromechanically manufactured array (1) of widely-spaced tips (2) and a micromechanically manufactured perforated extracting electrode (3) are provided. The outer sides of the perforated extracting electrode are bonded to the array in a way that the perforated extracting electrode is facing the array. With the array of widely-spaced tips and the perforated extracting electrode being fabricated separately and bonded together subsequently, both the number of process steps required for each of the two parts and the manufacturing process costs are reduced.
Abstract:
In accordance with the invention, a field emission device is made by disposing emitter material on an insulating substrate, applying a sacrificial film to the emitter material and forming over the sacrificial layer a conductive gate layer having a random distribution of apertures therein. In the preferred process, the gate is formed by applying masking particles to the sacrificial film, applying a conductive film over the masking particles and the sacrificial film and then removing the masking particles to reveal a random distribution of apertures. The sacrificial film is then removed. The apertures then extend to the emitter material. In a preferred embodiment, the sacrificial film contains dielectric spacer particles which remain after the film is removed to separate the emitter from the gate. The result is a novel and economical field emission device having numerous randomly distributed emission apertures which can be used to make low cost flat panel displays.
Abstract:
In a system containing an electron field emitter array characterized by aying diamond powder to a substrate and affixing the powder thereto, the diamond powder being composed of particles having sharp tips which are adapted to emit electrons in a vacuum and in an electric field, which electrons impact a phosphor layer disposed on an anode spaced above the tips of the diamond powder particles.
Abstract:
Rod-shaped or cylindrical structures in the nm range on a substrate of silicon are manufactured. A first cylinder of silicon is selectively epitaxially deposited in the hole of a mask layer of oxide, and the mask layer is removed. The silicon is then oxidized to form an oxide layer having such a thickness that a thinner, second cylinder of silicon having practically the same height as the first cylinder remains. In a last step, this oxide layer is removed, so that the second cylinder forms a freestanding silicon rod on the surface of the substrate.
Abstract:
An energy storage circuit employing an energy storage network and a field emission device charge transport switch is provided. Utilization of various configurations of FEDs in the energy storage circuit provides for performance enhancement of addressing of display devices including liquid crystal displays, electroluminescent displays, and cathodoluminescent displays employing FED electron sources.
Abstract:
An in situ plasma dry etching process for the formation of automatically sharp cold cathode emitter tips for use in field emission displays in which i) a mask layer is deposited on a substrate, ii) a photoresist layer is patterned superjacent the mask layer at the sites where the emitter tips are to be formed, iii) the mask is selectively removed by plasma etching, iv) after which the substrate is etched in the same plasma reacting chamber, thereby creating sharp electron emitter tips.
Abstract:
A field emitting device having a plurality of preformed emitter objects. The emitter objects include sharp geometric discontinuities, and a significant number of these geometric discontinuities are oriented in a way that supports desired field emission activity. Field emission devices built with such emitters can be utilized to provide a flat display screen.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a method for the fabrication of electrical and electronic devices using a photoresist deposited in pre-existing through holes in a device structure and a thick film paste, and to the devices made by such method. The method allows thick film paste deposits in the corners of the holes. This invention also relates to devices made with thick film pastes that are patterned using a diffusion layer made from residual photoresist deposits in a hole.
Abstract:
The present invention comprises nano obelisks and nanostructures and methods and processes for same. The nano obelisks of the present invention are advantageous structures for use as electron source emitters. For example, the ultra sharp obelisks can be used as an emitter source to generate highly coherent and high energy electrons with high current.