Processing of materials for uniform field emission
Abstract
This method produces a field emitter material having a uniform electron emitting surface and a low turn-on voltage. Field emitter materials having uniform electron emitting surfaces as large as 1 square meter and turn-on voltages as low as 16V/{micro}m can be produced from films of electron emitting materials such as polycrystalline diamond, diamond-like carbon, graphite and amorphous carbon by the method of the present invention. The process involves conditioning the surface of a field emitter material by applying an electric field to the surface, preferably by scanning the surface of the field emitter material with an electrode maintained at a fixed distance of at least 3 {micro}m above the surface of the field emitter material and at a voltage of at least 500V. In order to enhance the uniformity of electron emission the step of conditioning can be preceded by ion implanting carbon, nitrogen, argon, oxygen or hydrogen into the surface layers of the field emitter material. 2 figs.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 321312
- Patent Number(s):
- 5857882
- Application Number:
- PAN: 8-607,532
- Assignee:
- Sandia Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 12 Jan 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 42 ENGINEERING NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CATEGORIES; FIELD EMISSION; ELECTRON EMISSION; DIAMONDS; CARBON; GRAPHITE; SURFACE TREATMENTS; ION IMPLANTATION
Citation Formats
Pam, L S, Felter, T E, Talin, A, Ohlberg, D, Fox, C, and Han, S. Processing of materials for uniform field emission. United States: N. p., 1999.
Web.
Pam, L S, Felter, T E, Talin, A, Ohlberg, D, Fox, C, & Han, S. Processing of materials for uniform field emission. United States.
Pam, L S, Felter, T E, Talin, A, Ohlberg, D, Fox, C, and Han, S. Tue .
"Processing of materials for uniform field emission". United States.
@article{osti_321312,
title = {Processing of materials for uniform field emission},
author = {Pam, L S and Felter, T E and Talin, A and Ohlberg, D and Fox, C and Han, S},
abstractNote = {This method produces a field emitter material having a uniform electron emitting surface and a low turn-on voltage. Field emitter materials having uniform electron emitting surfaces as large as 1 square meter and turn-on voltages as low as 16V/{micro}m can be produced from films of electron emitting materials such as polycrystalline diamond, diamond-like carbon, graphite and amorphous carbon by the method of the present invention. The process involves conditioning the surface of a field emitter material by applying an electric field to the surface, preferably by scanning the surface of the field emitter material with an electrode maintained at a fixed distance of at least 3 {micro}m above the surface of the field emitter material and at a voltage of at least 500V. In order to enhance the uniformity of electron emission the step of conditioning can be preceded by ion implanting carbon, nitrogen, argon, oxygen or hydrogen into the surface layers of the field emitter material. 2 figs.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1999},
month = {1}
}