Patent · US Expired

Field-emission electron source

US5925891A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
3References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 14, 1997
Grant dateJul 20, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 14, 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A withdrawn electrode is formed on a silicon substrate with intervention of upper and lower silicon oxide films each having circular openings corresponding to regions in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 Tower-shaped cathodes are formed in the respective openings of the upper and lower silicon oxide films and of the withdrawn electrode.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.