Gated fabrication of nanostructure field emission cathode material within a device

• US 6,858,455 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2002
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Inventors: Guillom, Michael A., Melechko, Anatoli V., Merkulov, Vladimir I., Lowndes, Douglas H., Simpson, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Booth, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US10/155,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20020175323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 438/20, 445/24, 445/50
• US Class Current: 438/20
• 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 2201/30469 Carbon nanotubes (CNTs)
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 9/025 of field emission cathodes

Abstract

Gated field emission devices and systems and methods for their fabrication are described. A method includes growing a substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure, the substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure coupled to a substrate; covering at least a portion of the substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure with a dielectric; forming a gate, the gate coupled to the dielectric; and releasing the substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure by forming an aperture in the gate and removing a portion of the dielectric.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

growing a single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure, the single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure coupled to a substrate;

covering at least a portion of the single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure with a dielectric;

forming a gate, the gate coupled to the dielectric;

releasing the single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure by forming an aperture in the gate and removing a portion of the dielectric; and

forming a dielectric protection layer, the dielectric protection layer coupled to the gate, before releasing the single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure,

wherein removing a portion of the dielectric includes reactive ion etching.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein growing the single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure includes growing a vertically aligned carbon nanofiber.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising

coupling another dielectric to the gate before uncovering the single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure;

and

coupling a focusing electrode to the another dielectric before releasing the single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the dielectric protection layer includes a charge dissipating layer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising lithographically defining the aperture.

2. A method, comprising:

growing a single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure, the single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure coupled to a substrate;

covering at least a portion of the single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure with a dielectric;

forming a gate, the gate coupled to the dielectric;

releasing the single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure by forming an aperture in the gate and removing a portion of the dielectric;

coupling another dielectric to the gate before uncovering the single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure; and

coupling a focusing electrode to the another dielectric before releasing the single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising, before releasing the single substantially vertically aligned carbon nanostructure, forming a dielectric protection layer coupled to the gate, wherein removing a portion of the dielectric includes reactive ion etching.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the dielectric protection layer includes a charge dissipating layer.

9. The method ot claim 2, further comprising lithograghically defining the aperture.