Electrochemical sharpening of field emission tips
Abstract
A method is disclosed for sharpening field emitter tips by electroetching/polishing. In gated field emitters, it is very important to initiate electron emission at the lowest possible voltage and thus the composition of the emitter and the gate, as well as the emitter-gate structure, are important factors. This method of sharpening the emitter tips uses the grid as a counter electrode in electroetching of the emitters, which can produce extremely sharp emitter tips as well as remove asperities and other imperfections in the emitters, each in relation to the specific grid hole in which it resides. This has the effect of making emission more uniform among the emitters as well as lowering the turn-on voltage. 3 figs.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of California (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 335479
- Patent Number(s):
- 5891321
- Application Number:
- PAN: 8-847,087
- Assignee:
- Univ. of California, Oakland, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 6 Apr 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 42 ENGINEERING NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CATEGORIES; FIELD EMISSION; ELECTRON EMISSION; ELECTRIC POTENTIAL; ELECTRON SOURCES; SURFACE FINISHING
Citation Formats
Bernhardt, A F. Electrochemical sharpening of field emission tips. United States: N. p., 1999.
Web.
Bernhardt, A F. Electrochemical sharpening of field emission tips. United States.
Bernhardt, A F. Tue .
"Electrochemical sharpening of field emission tips". United States.
@article{osti_335479,
title = {Electrochemical sharpening of field emission tips},
author = {Bernhardt, A F},
abstractNote = {A method is disclosed for sharpening field emitter tips by electroetching/polishing. In gated field emitters, it is very important to initiate electron emission at the lowest possible voltage and thus the composition of the emitter and the gate, as well as the emitter-gate structure, are important factors. This method of sharpening the emitter tips uses the grid as a counter electrode in electroetching of the emitters, which can produce extremely sharp emitter tips as well as remove asperities and other imperfections in the emitters, each in relation to the specific grid hole in which it resides. This has the effect of making emission more uniform among the emitters as well as lowering the turn-on voltage. 3 figs.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1999},
month = {4}
}
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