Field emission electron source and production method thereof
First Claim
1. A field emission-type electron source comprising:
- an electrically conductive substrate;
a strong field drift layer formed on said electrically conductive substrate; and
a surface electrode formed on said strong field drift layer, in which said strong field drift layer has a number of semiconductor nanocrystals of nano-meter order formed partly in a semiconductor layer configuring said strong field drift layer, and a number of insulating films, each of which is formed on a surface of each of said semiconductor nanocrystals and has a thickness smaller than a crystalline particle size of each of said semiconductor nanocrystals, wherein a voltage is applied between said surface electrode and said electrically conductive substrate so that said surface electrode becomes higher in potential, whereby electrons injected from said electrically conductive substrate into said strong field drift layer drift in said strong field drift layer, and is emitted through said surface electrode, said field-emission-type electron source being characterized in that each of said insulating films formed on each of the surface of each of said semiconductor nanocrystals has such a thickness that an electron tunneling phenomenon occurs.
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Abstract
In a field emission-type electron source (10), a strong field drift layer (6) and a surface electrode (7) consisting of a gold thin film are provided on an n-type silicon substrate (1). An ohmic electrode (2) is provided on the back surface of the n-type silicon substrate (1). A direct current voltage is applied so that the surface electrode (7) becomes positive in potential relevant to the ohmic electrode (2). In this manner, electrons injected from the ohmic electrode (2) into the strong field drift layer (6) via the n-type silicon substrate (6) drift in the strong field drift layer (6), and is emitted to the outside via the surface electrode (7). The strong field drift layer (6) has: a number of semiconductor nanocrystals (63) of nano-meter order formed partly of a semiconductor layer configuring the strong field drift layer (6); and a number of insulating films (64) each of which is formed on the surface of each of the semiconductor nanocrystals (63) and each having film thickness to an extent such that an electron tunneling phenomenon occurs.
42 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A field emission-type electron source comprising:
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an electrically conductive substrate;
a strong field drift layer formed on said electrically conductive substrate; and
a surface electrode formed on said strong field drift layer, in which said strong field drift layer has a number of semiconductor nanocrystals of nano-meter order formed partly in a semiconductor layer configuring said strong field drift layer, and a number of insulating films, each of which is formed on a surface of each of said semiconductor nanocrystals and has a thickness smaller than a crystalline particle size of each of said semiconductor nanocrystals, wherein a voltage is applied between said surface electrode and said electrically conductive substrate so that said surface electrode becomes higher in potential, whereby electrons injected from said electrically conductive substrate into said strong field drift layer drift in said strong field drift layer, and is emitted through said surface electrode, said field-emission-type electron source being characterized in that each of said insulating films formed on each of the surface of each of said semiconductor nanocrystals has such a thickness that an electron tunneling phenomenon occurs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of manufacturing a field emission type electron source having:
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an electrically conductive substrate;
a strong field drift layer formed on said electrically conductive substrate; and
a surface electrode formed on said strong field drift layer, in which said strong field drift layer has a number of semiconductor nanocrystals of nano-meter order formed partly in a semiconductor layer configuring said strong field drift layer, and a number of insulating films, each of which is formed on a surface of each of said semiconductor nanocrystals and has such a thickness that an electron tunneling phenomenon occurs, wherein a voltage is applied between said surface electrode and said electrically conductive substrate so that said surface electrode becomes higher in potential, whereby electrons injected from said electrically conductive substrate into said strong field drift layer drift in said strong field drift layer and is emitted through said surface electrode, said method being characterized in that each of said insulating films is formed on the surface of each of said semiconductor nanocrystals by means of any one of an electrochemical process, a rapid thermal oxidization process, a rapid thermal nitriding process, and a rapid thermal oxidization and nitriding process, or alternatively, a combination of those processes. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification