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.