Fabrication of Nano Electron Source Using Beam-Assisted Process

Abstract

A new structure and the fabrication processes of a field emission electron source using chemical reactions by an electron beam (EB) or a focused ion beam (FIB) were proposed. Various gate diameters and emitter heights can freely be fabricated using these processes. An insulator of ring shape was deposited on a Si substrate by chemical reactions using EB or FIB in a tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) atmosphere. A Pt gate was then deposited on the insulator ring using EB in a methyl cyclopentadienyl trimethyl platinum [C5H5Pt(CH3)3] atmosphere. A Pt emitter was deposited into the ring gate opening in the same way. In the quickest process, an electron-source structure with a gate diameter of 300 nm and a cathode height of 500 nm could be fabricated in 189 s using only an EB-induced reaction.