ELECTRIC FIELD EMISSION ELEMENT AND ITS MANUFACTURE

• Main Authors: HORIBATA SHINJI, YURA SHINSUKE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 18.05.1993
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS; ELECTRICITY

PURPOSE:To manufacture an electric field emission element having less dispersion in characteristics by shaping an emitter like a cylinder or a polygonal pillar and at the same time making the edge of its free end in such a form to project at acute angle or covering by means of a metal thin film, its side-wall having a shape like a cylinder or a polygonal pillar. CONSTITUTION:An emitter 2 is shaped like a cylinder having a diameter of 1mum in one body with a substrate 1 made of Si and its upper edge projects slightly. The edge portions of a gate 3 and the emitter 2 are placed against one another at a minute distance of not more than 1mum. An insulation layer 4 between the gate 3 and the substrate 1 is provided with an oxide film 11 formed in its low layer portion, and the electric field emission element having such a structure as the above are densely placed in matrix arrangement on the substrate 1. For the method of its manufacture, its heat treatment process is performed at a temperature 950 deg.C in the atmosphere of oxygen gas including steam. In this heat treatment process, stress concentrates upon the upper edge of the column of the emitter 2 and the penetration of oxygen is prevented, so that its projection shape remains unchanged without any oxidization.