Patent · US Expired

Field-emission electron source and method of manufacturing the same

US5897790A · kind A · utility

5Cited by
4References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 22, 1997
Grant dateApr 27, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 22, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2201/30426
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A withdrawn electrode is formed on a silicon substrate with intervention of upper and lower silicon oxide films each having circular openings corresponding to regions in which cathodes are to be formed. Tower-shaped cathodes are formed in the respective openings of the upper and lower silicon oxide films and of the withdrawn electrode. Each of the cathodes has a sharply tapered tip portion having a radius of 2 nm or less, which has been formed by crystal anisotropic etching and thermal oxidation process for silicon. The region of the silicon substrate exposed in the openings of the upper and lower silicon oxide films and the cathode have their surfaces coated with a thin surface coating film made of a material having a low work function.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.