Low Cost, High Volume Field Emitter Fabrication Method

Field emitter based devices offer exciting theoretical performance capabilities such as temperature insensitivity, high frequency, high current density, high efficiencies, and small size. Efforts to demonstrate these capabilities and apply them have been held back by the fabrication methods that are currently available. Most of these methods cannot, among other limitations, reliably provide structures with more than one or two electrodes. The demonstration and application of useful devices will require fabrication processes capable of far more advanced structures and much greater design freedom. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to demonstrate a novel new inverted field emitter device fabrication method that is based on an inverted structure. It uses a conformal film to form a cusp that acts as a mold for a sharp self aligned emitter. The process has many advantages including the ability to provide a wide range of diverse structures and configurations. Anticipated Benefits: The highly flexible new fabrication process being demonstrated in this Phase I project will speed the way toward the demonstration of field emitter device capabilities the implementation of those capabilities into practical applications, and the ultimate volume manufacture of the resulting products. Applications include the creation of complex lens structures, on emitters for projection electron beam exposure systems, electron beam projection display systems, and high transconductance amplifiers based on beam electron shifting.