Electronic switching device
First Claim
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1. An electronic switching device comprising:
- an electrodes'"'"' arrangement including at least one Cathode electrode and at least one Anode electrode, the Cathode and Anode electrodes being arranged in a spaced-apart relationship, the device being configured to expose said at least one Cathode electrode to exciting illumination to thereby cause electrons'"'"' emission from said Cathode electrode; and
a control unit connected to the electrodes'"'"' arrangement and operable to affect a change in electric current between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode by at least one of the following;
controllably varying illumination intensity of the Cathode electrode while maintaining an electric field between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode, and controllably varying an electric field between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode while maintaining illumination of the Cathode electrode to thereby enable the device to operate as a photoemission switching device.
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Abstract
An electrons'"'"' emission device is presented. The device comprises an electrodes'"'"' arrangement including at least one Cathode electrode and at least one Anode electrode, the Cathode and Anode electrodes being arranged in a spaced-apart relationship; the device being configured to expose said at least one Cathode electrode to exciting illumination to thereby cause electrons'"'"' emission from said Cathode electrode, the device being operable as a photoemission switching device.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. An electronic switching device comprising:
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an electrodes'"'"' arrangement including at least one Cathode electrode and at least one Anode electrode, the Cathode and Anode electrodes being arranged in a spaced-apart relationship, the device being configured to expose said at least one Cathode electrode to exciting illumination to thereby cause electrons'"'"' emission from said Cathode electrode; and a control unit connected to the electrodes'"'"' arrangement and operable to affect a change in electric current between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode by at least one of the following;
controllably varying illumination intensity of the Cathode electrode while maintaining an electric field between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode, and controllably varying an electric field between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode while maintaining illumination of the Cathode electrode to thereby enable the device to operate as a photoemission switching device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. An electronic switching device comprising:
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an electrodes'"'"' arrangement including at least one Cathode electrode and at least one Anode electrode arranged in a spaced-apart relationship, the device being configured to expose said at least one Cathode electrode to exciting illumination to cause electron emission therefrom; and a control unit connectable to the electrodes'"'"' arrangement and to an illuminator and operable for effecting a switching function enabling the device operation as a photoemission switching device by affecting a change in electric current between the Cathode and Anode electrodes by carrying out at least one of the following;
controllably varying the illumination of the Cathode electrode while maintaining an electric field between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode, and controllably varying an electric field between the Cathode and Anode electrodes while maintaining illumination of the Cathode electrode.
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50. An electronic switching device comprising:
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an electrodes'"'"' arrangement including at least one Cathode electrode, at least one Anode electrode, and at least one additional electrode arranged in a spaced-apart relationship, the device being configured to expose said at least one Cathode electrode to exciting illumination to thereby cause electrons'"'"' emission from said at least one illuminated Cathode electrode towards said at least one Anode electrode; and a control unit connectable to the electrodes'"'"' arrangement and to an illuminator and operable for effecting a switching function enabling the device being operable as a photoemission switching device by affecting a change in electric current between the Cathode and Anode electrodes, by carrying out at least one of the following;
controllably varying the illumination of the Cathode electrode while maintaining an electric field between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode, and controllably varying an electric field between the Cathode and Anode electrodes while maintaining illumination of the Cathode electrode.
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51. An electronic switching device comprising:
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an electrodes'"'"' arrangement including at least one Cathode electrode, at least one Anode electrode, and at least one additional electrode arranged in a spaced-apart relationship, the device being configured to expose said at least one Cathode electrode to exciting illumination to thereby cause electrons'"'"' emission from said at least one illuminated Cathode electrode towards said at least one Anode electrode; and a control unit connectable to the electrodes'"'"' arrangement and operable to affect a change in electric current between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode by at least one of the following;
controllably varying illumination intensity of the Cathode electrode while maintaining an electric field between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode, and controllably varying an electric field between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode while maintaining illumination of the Cathode electrode to thereby effect a switching function and enable the device operation as a photoemission switching device.
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52. An integrated device comprising at least one structure operable as an electrons'"'"' switching unit, said at least one structure comprising:
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at least one Cathode electrode carried by a first substrate layer and at least one Anode electrode carried by a second substrate layer, the first and second substrate layers being spaced from each other by a spacer layer structure including at least one dielectric layer, the spacer layer structure being patterned to define a gap between the Cathode and Anode electrodes, at least one of the first and second substrates being made of a material transparent with respect to certain exciting radiation to thereby enable illumination of the at least one Cathode electrode to cause electrons emission therefrom; and a control unit connectable to the Cathode and Anode electrodes and operable to affect a change in electric current between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode by at least one of the following;
controllably varying illumination intensity of the Cathode electrode while maintaining an electric field between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode, and controllably varying an electric field between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode while maintaining illumination of the Cathode electrode to thereby effect a switching function and enable the device being operable as a photoemission switching device.
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53. An electronic switching device comprising:
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an electrode arrangement comprising at least one Cathode electrode and at least one Anode electrode, the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode being arranged in a spaced-apart relationship, the device being configured to expose the at least one Cathode electrode to exciting illumination to thereby cause electron emission from the Cathode electrode, and a control unit associated with the electrode arrangement and operable to affect a change in electric current between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode by controllably varying an electric field between the Cathode electrode and the Anode electrode while maintaining illumination of the Cathode electrode to thereby enable the device to operate as a photoemission switching device.
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Specification