Electron emitter

• US 20060012279A1
• Filed: 07/13/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Original Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Hirofumi, Nanataki, Tsutomu, Tanaka, Ritsu
• Granted Patent: US 7,816,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/310
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 1/312 having an electric field perpendicular to the surface, e.g. tunnel-effect cathodes of metal-insulator-metal [MIM] type H01J1/304- H01J1/308 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2329/00 Electron emission display panels, e.g. field emission display panels
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 29/481 Electron guns using field-emission, photo-emission, or secondary-emission electron source
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 9/025 of field emission cathodes

Abstract

A dielectric device of higher performance is provided. An electron emitter, to which the dielectric device is applied is provided with: an emitter including a dielectric; and an upper electrode and a lower electrode to which drive voltage is applied in order to emit electrons. The emitter is formed by the aerosol deposition method or the sol impregnation method.

Claims

1. An electron emitter comprising:

an emitter comprised of a dielectric layer,

a first electrode formed on or above a surface of the emitter,

a second electrode formed on or above the emitter,

wherein the dielectric layer is formed from fine particles of a dielectric by the aerosol deposition method.

2. The electron emitter according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is formed on a upper surface of the emitter and having an opening exposing the upper surface toward the outside of the electron emitter.

3. The electron emitter according to claim 2, wherein the second electrode formed on a lower surface opposite with the upper surface of the emitter.

4. The electron emitter according to claim 3, wherein the electron emitter has an air gap between a face opposite to the upper surface of the emitter at an edge of the first electrode and the upper surface of the emitter.

5. The electron emitter according to claim 4, wherein the edge of the first electrode is shaped so as to concentrate lines of electric force.

6. The electron emitter according to claim 5, wherein the first electrode is an aggregation of conductive particles having a shape extending in the longitudinal direction in a sectional side view, and the conductive particles are arranged so that the longitudinal direction is parallel with the upper surface of the emitter.

7. The electron emitter according to claim 6, wherein a metal component is mixed with the emitter.

8. The electron emitter according to claim 7, wherein the metal component is comprised of silver.

9. The electron emitter according to claim 8, wherein the second electrode is comprised of silver.

10. The electron emitter according to claim 9, further comprising:

a substrate comprised of a material which upper allowable temperature limit is low,

wherein the emitter is comprised of polycrystalline substance, and the distribution of the sizes of the crystal of the polycrystalline substance is that the proportion of the particles 0.5 μ

m or larger in size is 20% or more.

11. The electron emitter according to claim 10, wherein the emitter is processed by heating process by radiating the electromagnetic wave.

12. An electron emitter comprising:

an emitter comprised of a dielectric and a metal component,

a first electrode formed on or above a surface of the emitter,

a second electrode formed on or above the emitter,

wherein the emitter is formed from fine particles of the dielectric and the metal by the aerosol deposition method.

13. The electron emitter according to claim 12, wherein the first electrode is formed on a upper surface of the emitter and having openings exposing the upper surface toward the outside of the electron emitter.

14. The electron emitter according to claim 13, wherein the second electrode formed on a lower surface opposite with the upper surface of the emitter.

15. The electron emitter according to claim 14, wherein the electron emitter has an air gap between a face opposite to the upper surface of the emitter at an edge of the first electrode and the upper surface of the emitter.

16. The electron emitter according to claim 15, wherein the edge of the first electrode is shaped so as to concentrate lines of electric force.

17. The electron emitter according to claim 16, wherein the first electrode is an aggregation of conductive particles having a shape extending in the longitudinal direction in a sectional side view, and the conductive particles are arranged so that the longitudinal direction is parallel with the upper surface of the emitter.

18. The electron emitter according to claim 17, wherein the metal component is comprised of silver.

19. The electron emitter according to claim 18, wherein the second electrode is comprised of silver.

20. The electron emitter according to claim 19, further comprising:

a substrate comprised of a material which upper allowable temperature limit is low,

wherein the emitter is comprised of polycrystalline substance, and the distribution of the sizes of the crystal of the polycrystalline substance is that the proportion of the particles 0.5 μ

m or larger in size is 20% or more.

21. The electron emitter according to claim 20, wherein the emitter is processed by heating process by radiating the electromagnetic wave.

22. An electron emitter comprising:

an emitter comprised of a dielectric layer,

a first electrode formed on or above a surface of the emitter,

a second electrode formed on or above the emitter,

a substrate comprised of a material which upper allowable temperature limit is low,

wherein the emitter is comprised of polycrystalline substance, and the distribution of the sizes of the crystal of the polycrystalline substance is that the proportion of the particles 0.5 μ

m or larger in size is 20% or more.

23. The electron emitter according to claim 22, wherein the emitter is processed by heating process by radiating the electromagnetic wave.

24. The electron emitter according to claim 23, wherein a metal component is mixed with the emitter.

25. The electron emitter according to claim 24, wherein the metal component is comprised of silver.

26. The electron emitter according to claim 25, wherein the second electrode is comprised of silver.

27. A method of fabricating an electron emitter, comprising:

forming a lower electrode on or above a substrate comprised of a material which upper allowable temperature limit is low,

forming an emitter comprised of a dielectric layer on or above the lower electrode by the aerosol deposition method,

forming an upper electrode on or above the emitter.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising;

heating the emitter by radiating the electromagnetic wave.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein forming the lower electrode includes forming a layer of electrode which contains a metal component.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the metal component includes silver.

31. A method of fabricating an electron emitter, comprising:

forming a lower electrode on or above a substrate comprised of a material which upper allowable temperature limit is low,

forming an emitter comprised of a dielectric layer on or above the lower electrode,

heating the emitter by radiating the electromagnetic wave,

forming an upper electrode on or above the emitter.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein forming the emitter includes forming a dielectric layer on the lower electrode by the aerosol deposition method.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein forming the lower electrode includes forming a layer of electrode which contains a metal component.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising:

mixing the metal component with the dielectric layer.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein forming the dielectric layer includes mixing the metal component.