公开(公告)号：US5618216C1

公开(公告)日：2001-06-26

申请号：US45903395

申请日：1995-06-02

Applicant: ADVANCED VISION TECH INC

Inventor： POTTER MICHAEL D

IPC: H01J9/39 ,  H01J1/304 ,  H01J3/02 ,  H01J7/18 ,  H01J9/02 ,  H01J9/40

CPC classification number: H01J9/025 ,  H01J3/022 ,  H01J2201/30423 ,  H01J2209/385

公开(公告)号：WO9832145A3

公开(公告)日：1998-11-19

申请号：PCT/US9723718

申请日：1997-12-30

Applicant: ADVANCED VISION TECH INC

Inventor： POTTER MICHAEL D

IPC: C09K11/54 ,  C09K11/67 ,  H01J1/304 ,  H01J1/36 ,  H01J3/02 ,  H01J9/02 ,  H01J9/14 ,  H01J9/22 ,  H01J29/18 ,  H01J29/20 ,  H01J31/12 ,  H01J

CPC classification number: H01J3/022 ,  H01J9/025

Abstract: A device useful as a display element has an electron emitter (40) and an anode (30) disposed to receive electrons emitted from the emitter. The anode has surface portions differing in resistivity, providing an electron sink portion (80) at the surface portion of lowest resistivity. A preferred embodiment has a lateral field-emission electron emitter (10) and has an anode formed by processes specially adapted to provide anode portions of differing resistivity, including the electron sink portion (80). The electron sink portion is preferably disposed at a position laterally spaced apart from the emitting tip of the device's electron emitter. In a particularly preferred fabrication process, the anode is formed by depositing a base layer, depositing and patterning an etch-stop layer (75) with an opening to define the electron-sink portion, forming an opening by etching overlying layers down to the etch-stop layer, and heating the base layer and etch-stop layer to form an anode surface that includes both an integral electron-sink portion and a cathodeluminescent phosphor (35) for emitting light. The fabrication process provides for fabricating a plurality of display element devices to make a flat panel display.

公开(公告)号：CA2312809A1

公开(公告)日：1999-08-12

申请号：CA2312809

申请日：1999-02-06

Applicant: ADVANCED VISION TECH INC

Inventor： POTTER MICHAEL

IPC: H01J1/304 ,  H01J3/02 ,  H01J9/02 ,  H01J29/04 ,  H01J31/12 ,  H01J21/10

Abstract: A lateral-emitter field emission device (10) has a gate (60) that is separated by an insulating layer (80) from a vaccum- or gas-filled microchamber environment (20) containing other elements of the device (10). For example, the gate (60) may be disposed external to the microchamber (20). The insulating layer (80) is disposed such that there is no vaccum- or gas-filled path to the gate for electrons that are emitted from a lateral emitter (40, 100). The insulating layer (70, 80) disposed between the emitter and the gate preferably comprises a material having a dielectric constant greater than one. The insulating layer also preferably has a low secondary electron yield over the device's operative range of electron energies. For display applications, the insulating layer is preferably transparent. Emitted electrons are confined to the microchamber (20) containing their emitter (100). Thus, the gate current component of the emitter current consists of displacement current only. This displacement current is a result of any change in potential of the gate relative to other elements such as, for example, relative to the emitter. Direct electron current from the emitter to the gate is prevented. An array of the devices comprises an array of microchambers, so that electron current from each emitter (100) can reach only the anode (50, 55) in the same microchamber, even for diode devices lacking a gate electrode (60). A fabrication process (S1-S28) is specially adapted for fabricating the device and arrays of such devices.

公开(公告)号：CA2312845A1

公开(公告)日：1999-06-24

申请号：CA2312845

申请日：1998-12-11

Applicant: ADVANCED VISION TECH INC

Inventor： POTTER MICHAEL

IPC: H01J9/39 ,  H01J1/304 ,  H01J7/18 ,  H01J9/02 ,  H01J29/94 ,  H01J1/02 ,  H01J63/04 ,  H01J19/10 ,  H01J1/16 ,  H01J17/24 ,  H01J61/26 ,  H01J1/62 ,  H01J19/70

Abstract: A self-gettering electron field emitter (30) has a first portion (40) formed of a low-work-function material for emitting electrons, and it has an integral second portion (50) that acts both as a low-resistance electrical conductor and as a gettering surface. The self-geterring emitter (30) is formed by disposing a thin film of the low-work-function material parallel to a substrate and by disposing a thin film of the low-resistance geterring material parallel to the substrate and in contact with the thin film of the low-work-function material. The self-geterring emitter (30) is particularly suitable for use in lateral field emission devices (10). The preferred emitter structure has a tapered edge (60), with a salient portion (45) of the low-work-function material extending a small distance beyond an edge (55) of the gettering and low resistance material. A fabrication process (S1-S6) is specially adapted for in situ formation of the self-gettering electron field emitters while fabricating microelectronic field emission devices.

公开(公告)号：AU5805298A

公开(公告)日：1998-08-07

申请号：AU5805298

申请日：1997-12-30

Applicant: ADVANCED VISION TECH INC

Inventor： POTTER MICHAEL D

IPC: C09K11/54 ,  C09K11/67 ,  H01J1/304 ,  H01J1/36 ,  H01J3/02 ,  H01J9/02 ,  H01J9/14 ,  H01J9/22 ,  H01J29/18 ,  H01J29/20 ,  H01J31/12 ,  H01J29/00 ,  H01J31/00

Abstract: A device useful as a display element has an electron emitter and an anode disposed to receive electrons emitted from the emitter. The anode has surface portions differing in resistivity, providing an electron sink portion at the surface portion of lowest resistivity. A preferred embodiment has a lateral field-emission electron emitter and has an anode formed by processes specially adapted to provide anode portions of differing resistivity, including the electron sink portion. The electron sink portion is preferably disposed at a position laterally spaced apart from the emitting tip of the device's electron emitter. In a particularly preferred fabrication process, the anode is formed by depositing a base layer, depositing and patterning an etch-stop layer with an opening to define the electron-sink portion, forming an opening by etching overlying layers down to the etch-stop layer, and heating the base layer and etch-stop layer to form an anode surface that includes both an integral electron-sink portion and a cathodoluminescent phosphor for emitting light. The fabrication process provides for fabricating a plurality of display element devices to make a flat panel display.

公开(公告)号：CA2274664A1

公开(公告)日：1998-07-23

申请号：CA2274664

申请日：1997-12-30

Applicant: ADVANCED VISION TECH INC

Inventor： POTTER MICHAEL D

IPC: C09K11/54 ,  C09K11/67 ,  H01J1/304 ,  H01J1/36 ,  H01J3/02 ,  H01J9/02 ,  H01J9/14 ,  H01J9/22 ,  H01J29/18 ,  H01J29/20 ,  H01J31/12 ,  H01J21/00 ,  H01J9/00 ,  H01J1/30

Abstract: A device useful as a display element has an electron emitter (40) and an anode (30) disposed to receive electrons emitted from the emitter. The anode has surface portions differing in resistivity, providing an electron sink portion (80) at the surface portion of lowest resistivity. A preferred embodiment has a lateral field-emission electron emitter (10) and has an anode formed by processes specially adapted to provide anode portions of differing resistivity, including the electron sink portion (80). The electron sink portion is preferably disposed at a position laterally spaced apart from the emitting tip of the device's electron emitter. In a particularly preferred fabrication process, the anode is formed by depositing a base layer, depositing and patterning an etch-stop layer (75) with an opening to define the electron-sink portion, forming an opening by etching overlying layers down to the etch-stop layer, and heating the base layer and etch-stop layer to form an anode surface that includes both an integral electron-sink portion and a cathodeluminescent phosphor (35) for emitting light. The fabrication process provides for fabricating a plurality of display element devices to make a flat panel display.

公开(公告)号：AU6273396A

公开(公告)日：1997-01-09

申请号：AU6273396

申请日：1996-06-11

Applicant: ADVANCED VISION TECH INC

Inventor： POTTER MICHAEL D

IPC: H01J9/02 ,  H01L31/0312 ,  H01J9/04

公开(公告)号：AU6850496A

公开(公告)日：1997-03-27

申请号：AU6850496

申请日：1996-08-16

Applicant: ADVANCED VISION TECH INC ,  MICHAEL D POTTER

Inventor： POTTER MICHAEL D

IPC: H01J3/02 ,  H01J9/02 ,  H01J1/30

公开(公告)号：AU2661399A

公开(公告)日：1999-08-23

申请号：AU2661399

申请日：1999-02-06

Applicant: ADVANCED VISION TECH INC

Inventor： POTTER MICHAEL D

IPC: H01J1/304 ,  H01J3/02 ,  H01J9/02 ,  H01J29/04 ,  H01J31/12 ,  H01J21/10

Abstract: A lateral-emitter field emission device (10) has a gate (60) that is separated by an insulating layer (80) from a vaccum- or gas-filled microchamber environment (20) containing other elements of the device (10). For example, the gate (60) may be disposed external to the microchamber (20). The insulating layer (80) is disposed such that there is no vaccum- or gas-filled path to the gate for electrons that are emitted from a lateral emitter (40, 100). The insulating layer (70, 80) disposed between the emitter and the gate preferably comprises a material having a dielectric constant greater than one. The insulating layer also preferably has a low secondary electron yield over the device's operative range of electron energies. For display applications, the insulating layer is preferably transparent. Emitted electrons are confined to the microchamber (20) containing their emitter (100). Thus, the gate current component of the emitter current consists of displacement current only. This displacement current is a result of any change in potential of the gate relative to other elements such as, for example, relative to the emitter. Direct electron current from the emitter to the gate is prevented. An array of the devices comprises an array of microchambers, so that electron current from each emitter (100) can reach only the anode (50, 55) in the same microchamber, even for diode devices lacking a gate electrode (60). A fabrication process (S1-S28) is specially adapted for fabricating the device and arrays of such devices.

公开(公告)号：CA2239288A1

公开(公告)日：1998-03-12

申请号：CA2239288

申请日：1997-08-30

Applicant: POTTER MICHAEL D ,  ADVANCED VISION TECH INC

Inventor： POTTER MICHAEL D

IPC: C09K11/67 ,  C09K11/68 ,  C09K11/69 ,  C09K11/77 ,  H01J9/227 ,  H01J17/49

Abstract: Phosphor compositions are prepared by treating metal oxides or mixed-metal oxides with refractory metals to form cathodoluminescent phosphors stimulatable by electrons of very low energy. The phosphors comprise 90 % to 100 % of a mixed metal oxide MxTyOz (where M is a metal selected from Zn, Sn, In, Cu, and combinations thereof; T is a refractory metal selected from Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, and combinations thereof; and O is Oxygen, x, y, and z being chosen such that z is at most stoichiometric for MxTyOz) and 0 % to 10 % of a dopant comprising a substance selected from a rare earth element of the lanthanide series, Mn, Cr, and combinations thereof, or stoichiometrically excess Zn, Cu, Sn, or In. A blue-light-emitting phosphor based on ZnO treated with Ta2O5 or Ta to form Ta2Zn3O8 is characterized by CIE 1931 chromaticity values x and y, where x is between about 0.14 and 0.20 and y is between about 0.05 and 0.15. In preferred embodiments, a process is specially adapted for forming the phosphor in an electrically-conductive thinfilm or surface-layer form in situ during fabrication of displays. A preferred in situ process has an integrated etch stop, which precisely defines the depth of an opening in a field-emission display structure utilizing the low-energy-electron excited phosphor. A field-emission display comprises cells, each having a field-emission cathode and an anode comprising at least one cathodoluminescent phosphor. Arrangements of various color phosphors may be made by selective deposition of suitable dopants. The display cell structures may also have gate elements for controlling electron current flowing to the anode and its phosphor when suitable voltages are applied.