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Title: Solution for space charge limited field emission current densities with injection velocity and geometric effects corrections

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2907365· OSTI ID:21120270
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1730 (United States)
  2. NanoScience Simulation Laboratory, Department of Physics, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei County 24205, Taiwan (China)

When particles are injected according to the Fowler-Nordheim (FN) field emission equation, the transmitted current density will transition to the space charge limited (SCL) current density, with increasing applied diode voltage. The actual transmitted current density is the so-called SCL-FN current density. In this work, Barbour's analytic solution for the SCL-FN current density is modified with consideration of injection velocity and also geometric effects, by solving the advanced FN equation with the effective field enhancement factor, the energy conservation equation with an initial velocity term, and Poisson's equation simultaneously. The solution is also extended to the relativistic regime where similar transition process is found. This solution has been verified using particle-in-cell simulation with varying diode voltage, electron injection velocity, and field enhancement factor.

OSTI ID:
21120270
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 15, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2907365; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English