Liquid metal wetting of micro-fabricated charge-emission structures
US8410678B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 28, 2012 |
| Grant date | Apr 2, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 28, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2237/31749
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Described is a micro-fabricated charged particle emission device including a substrate and a plurality of charged particle emission sites formed in the substrate. A path extends between each emission site and a source of liquid metal. Each path is coated with a wetting layer of non-oxidizing metal for wetting the liquid metal. Exemplary non-oxidizing metals that may be used to make the wetting layer include gold and platinum. The wetting layer is sufficiently thin such that some liquid metal is able to flow to each emission site despite any chemical interaction between the liquid metal and the non-oxidizing metal of the wetting layer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.