A NON-VACUUM FIELD EMISSION DEVICE

A HIGH-SPEED FIELD EMISSION TRIODE DEVICE WHICH DOES NOT REQUIRE HIGH VACUUM FOR OPERATION IS DESCRIBED. THIS IS ENABLED BY COATING A MICRO-TIP CATHODE WITH RECENTLY INVENTED VERY LOW WORK FUNCTION DIAMOND THIN FILM, SUCH THAT THE ELECTRIC FIELD TO EXTRACT ELECTRONS FROM THE CATHODE IS LESS THAN 5 VOLTS PER MICROMETER. HENCE A VOLTAGE OF ONLY 5 VOLTS NEED BE APPLIED BETWEEN THE CATHODE AND THE GRID TO EXTRACT ELECTRONS MAKING THIS DEVICE COMPATIBLE WITH STANDARD SEMICONDUCTOR ELECTRONICS. AT THE SAME TIME, LOW VOLTAGE ELECTRONS HAVE MEAN FREE PATHS IN AIR WHICH ARE LONGER THAN THE CATHODE-ANODE SEPARATION MAKING A NON-VACUUM OPERATION OF SUCH A DEVICE POSSIBLE. RESEARCHERS ARE DEMONSTRATING THE FEASIBILITY OF SUCH A HIGH-SPEED DEVICE BY DESIGNING COMPUTER MODELING, AND FABRICATING DIODE AND TRIODE TYPE FIELD EMITTER DEVICES.