A new surface electron-emission mechanism in diamond cathodes

An electron-emission mechanism for cold cathodes is described based on the enhancement of electric fields at metal-diamond-vacuum triple junctions. Unlike conventional mechanisms, in which electrons tunnel from a metal or semiconductor directly into vacuum, the electrons here tunnel from a metal int...

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Published inNature (London) Vol. 393; no. 6684; pp. 431 - 435
Main Authors Geis, M. W, Efremow, N. N, Krohn, K. E, Twichell, J. C, Lyszczarz, T. M, Kalish, R, Greer, J. A, Tabat, M. D
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Nature Publishing 04.06.1998
Nature Publishing Group
Subjects
Applied sciences
Cathodes
Diamonds
Electronics
Electrons
Emissions
Exact sciences and technology
Field emitter and arrays, cold electron emitters
Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices
Vacuum microelectronics
Fowler-Nordheim theory
Field emitter
Semiconductor materials
Negative electron affinity
Tunnel effect
Diamond
Field emission
Solid vacuum interface
Electron emission
Experimental study
Mechanism
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Summary:An electron-emission mechanism for cold cathodes is described based on the enhancement of electric fields at metal-diamond-vacuum triple junctions. Unlike conventional mechanisms, in which electrons tunnel from a metal or semiconductor directly into vacuum, the electrons here tunnel from a metal into diamond surface states, where they are accelerated to energies sufficient to be ejected into vacuum. Diamond cathodes designed to optimize this mechanism exhibit some of the lowest operational voltages achieved so far.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 23
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/30900