Fabrication and simulation of a gated thin film emitter

Abstract

We have fabricated a gated field emitter using a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film cathode. The process involved the deposition of DLC, insulator, and gate layers followed by backetching to expose a patterned DLC. We also simulated the emission behavior of the gated DLC cathode. The emission sites on the DLC film were simulated by multiple sharp points formed on the DLC surface. The electron trajectory and the emission current were studied as a function of structural parameters such as cathode height, oxide layer thickness, gate hole diameter, and focus electrode.