Horizontal microelectronic field emission devices
First Claim
1. A microelectronic field emitter comprising:
- a horizontal substrate having a horizontal face;
a first insulating layer on said horizontal face, said first insulating layer having a first vertical sidewall;
a first horizontal emitter electrode on said first insulating layer with one end thereof extending adjacent said first vertical sidewall; and
a vertical extraction electrode on said first vertical sidewall with one end thereof extending adjacent said first horizontal emitter electrode, said one end of said first horizontal emitter electrode and said one end of said vertical extraction electrode forming an electron emission gap therebetween anda horizontal cap, spaced from said horizontal face, for encapsulating said first horizontal emitter electrode and said vertical extraction electrode.
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Abstract
A microelectronic field emitter includes a horizontal emitter electrode and a vertical extraction electrode on the horizontal face of a substrate. An end of the horizontal emitter electrode and the end of the vertical extraction electrode form an electron emission gap therebetween. The emitter electrode may be formed on an insulating layer which is formed on a substrate. The insulating layer also includes a sidewall, and the extraction electrode may be formed on the sidewall with one thereof extending adjacent the emitter electrode to form an electron emission gap therebetween. A vertical collector electrode may also be formed on the sidewall of a second insulating layer spaced from the first sidewall. The field emitter may be cylindrical, planar, or of various other shapes. multiple emitters, extractors and collectors may be stacked on one another. The emitters may be formed using conventional microelectronic fabrication techniques, in which an insulating layer is etched to form a sidewall and conformal metallization is used to form extractor and collector electrodes. A low capacitance, high speed, high power horizontal microelectronic emitter may thereby be formed.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A microelectronic field emitter comprising:
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a horizontal substrate having a horizontal face; a first insulating layer on said horizontal face, said first insulating layer having a first vertical sidewall; a first horizontal emitter electrode on said first insulating layer with one end thereof extending adjacent said first vertical sidewall; and a vertical extraction electrode on said first vertical sidewall with one end thereof extending adjacent said first horizontal emitter electrode, said one end of said first horizontal emitter electrode and said one end of said vertical extraction electrode forming an electron emission gap therebetween and a horizontal cap, spaced from said horizontal face, for encapsulating said first horizontal emitter electrode and said vertical extraction electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A microelectronic field emitter comprising;
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a substrate having a first face; a first insulating layer on said first face, said first insulating layer having a first sidewall; a first emitter electrode on said first insulating layer, with one end thereof extending adjacent said first sidewall; and an extraction electrode on said first sidewall, with one end thereof extending adjacent said first emitter electrode, said one end of said first emitter electrode and said one end of said extraction electrode forming an electron emission gap therebetween, wherein said first insulating layer comprises a first cylindrical insulating layer having a first cylindrical sidewall;
wherein said first emitter electrode comprises a first circular emitter electrode on said first insulating layer; and
wherein said extraction electrode comprises a cylindrical extraction electrode on said first sidewall, with said one end of said circular emitter electrode and said one end of said cylindrical extraction electrode forming a circular electron emission gap therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A microelectronic field emitter comprising:
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a substrate having a first face; a first insulating layer on said first face, said first insulating layer having a first sidewall; a first emitter electrode on said first insulating layer, with one end thereof extending adjacent said first sidewall; an extraction electrode on said first sidewall, with one end thereof extending adjacent said first emitter electrode, said one end of said first emitter electrode and said one end of said extraction electrode forming an electron emission gap therebetween; a second insulating layer on said first emitter electrode, said second insulating layer having a second sidewall; and a second extraction electrode on said second sidewall, with one end thereof extending adjacent said first emitter electrode, said one end of said first emitter electrode and said one end of said second extraction electrode forming a second electron emission gap therebetween.
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15. A microelectronic field emitter comprising:
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a substrate having a first face; a first insulating layer on said first face, said first insulating layer having a first sidewall; a first emitter electrode on said first insulating layer, with one end thereof extending adjacent said first sidewall; an extraction electrode on said first sidewall, with one end thereof extending adjacent said first emitter electrode, said one end of said first emitter electrode and said one end of said extraction electrode forming an electron emission gap therebetween; a second insulating layer on said first face, said second insulating layer having a second sidewall; a second emitter electrode on said second insulating layer, with one end thereof extending adjacent said second sidewall, said one end of said first emitter electrode facing said one end of said second emitter electrode; and a second extraction electrode on said second sidewall, with one end thereof extending adjacent said second emitter electrode, said one end of said second emitter electrode and said one end of said second extraction electrode forming a second electron emission gap therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A microelectronic field emitter comprising:
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a substrate having a first face; a first insulating layer on said first face, said first insulating layer having a first sidewall; a first emitter electrode on said first insulating layer, with one end thereof extending adjacent said first sidewall; an extraction electrode on said first sidewall, with one end thereof extending adjacent said first emitter electrode, said one end of said first emitter electrode and said one end of said extraction electrode forming an electron emission gap therebetween; a third insulating layer on said second emitter electrode, said third insulating layer having a third sidewall; a third emitter electrode on said third insulating layer, with one end thereof extending adjacent said third sidewall; and a third extraction electrode on said third sidewall, with one end thereof extending adjacent said third emitter electrode, said one end of said third emitter electrode and said one end of said third extraction electrode forming a third electron emission gap therebetween.
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18. A microelectronic field emitter comprising:
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a substrate having a first face; a first insulating layer on said first face, said first insulating layer having a first sidewall; a first emitter electrode on said first insulating layer, with one end thereof extending adjacent said first sidewall; and an extraction electrode on said first sidewall, with one end thereof extending adjacent said first emitter electrode, said one end of said first emitter electrode and said one end of said extraction electrode forming an electron emission gap therebetween, wherein said one end of said emitter electrode overhangs said first sidewall.
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19. A microelectronic field emitter comprising:
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a substrate having a first face; a first insulating layer on said first face, said first insulating layer having a first sidewall; a first emitter electrode on said first insulating layer, with one end thereof extending adjacent said first sidewall; and an extraction electrode on said first sidewall, with one end thereof extending adjacent said first emitter electrode, said one end of said first emitter electrode and said one end of said extraction electrode forming an electron emission gap therebetween; and a conductive plate, parallel to and insulated from said first emitter electrode, said first emitter electrode and said conductive plate forming a capacitor for storing charge therein.
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20. A microelectronic field emitter comprising:
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a substrate having a horizontal face; a first planar horizontal emitter electrode on said horizontal face, said first horizontal emitter electrode having a linear first end; and a first planar vertical extraction electrode on said horizontal face, said first vertical extraction electrode having a linear first end;
said linear first end of said first horizontal emitter electrode and said linear first end of said first vertical extraction electrode extending adjacent one another to form an elongated linear electron emission gap therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A microelectronic field emitter comprising:
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a substrate having a horizontal face; a first horizontal emitter electrode on said horizontal face, said first horizontal emitter electrode having a first end; and a first vertical extraction electrode on said horizontal face, said first vertical extraction electrode having a first end;
said first end of said first horizontal emitter electrode and said first end of said first vertical extraction electrode extending adjacent one another to form an electron emission gap therebetween;wherein said first horizontal emitter electrode comprises a first horizontal circular emitter electrode and wherein said first vertical extraction electrode comprises a first vertical cylindrical extraction electrode, with said first end of said circular emitter electrode and said first end of said cylindrical extraction electrode forming a circular electron emission gap therebetween.
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28. A microelectronic field emitter comprising:
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a substrate having a horizontal face; a first horizontal emitter electrode on said horizontal face, said first horizontal emitter electrode having a first end; a first vertical extraction electrode on said horizontal face, said first vertical extraction electrode having a first end;
said first end of said first horizontal emitter electrode and said first end of said first vertical extraction electrode extending adjacent one another to form an electron emission gap therebetween; anda horizontal conductive plate, insulated from said first horizontal emitter electrode, said first horizontal emitter electrode and said horizontal conductive plate forming a capacitor for storing charge therein.
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Specification