Split collector vacuum field effect transistor
First Claim
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1. A vacuum field effect transistor (FET), comprising:
- an emitter configured to emit a current flow,a collector positioned in the path of said current flow, said collector having conductive and nonconductive portions,a steering electrode means disposed generally between the emitter and collector, andmeans for applying an electrical signal to said steering electrode for steering the current flow between the collector'"'"'s conductive and nonconductive portions.
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Abstract
A vacuum FET is designed to perform higher level functions such as logic AND, EXCLUSIVE OR (NOR), demultiplexing, or frequency multiplication with a single device. These higher level functions are accomplished by dividing the collector of the vacuum FET into multiple segments and by providing steering electrodes just above the emitter to deflect the field emission current to the various collector segments. The collector pattern, together with the configuration of the applied signals to the device, determines the higher order function performed.
319 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A vacuum field effect transistor (FET), comprising:
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an emitter configured to emit a current flow, a collector positioned in the path of said current flow, said collector having conductive and nonconductive portions, a steering electrode means disposed generally between the emitter and collector, and means for applying an electrical signal to said steering electrode for steering the current flow between the collector'"'"'s conductive and nonconductive portions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A vacuum field effect transistor (FET), comprising:
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a housing, a chamber within said housing having a floor and an upper boundary, an emitter extending upward from the chamber floor to an electron emitting tip, a conductive layer forming the upper chamber boundary for receiving an applied voltage to induce the emission of an electron stream from the emitter tip towards said conductive layer, said conductive layer sinking incident electrons from the electron stream, a plurality of steering electrodes positioned to steer the electron stream from the emitter in response to applied steering signals, a collector formed from a conductive material and positioned between the steering electrodes and the conductive layer, said collector including at least one gap therein permitting electrons from the emitter to flow through the collector to the conductive layer in response to a predetermined steering signal, and insulative layers between the emitter and steering electrodes, between the steering electrodes and collector, and between the collector and conductive layer, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification