Forms and behaviour of vacuum emission electronic devices comprising diamond or other carbon cold cathode emitters

Abstract

Nanocarbon-derived electron emission devices, specifically nanodiamond lateral field emission (FE) diodes and gated carbon nanotube (CNT) triodes, are new configurations for robust nanoelectronic devices. These novel micro/nanostructures provide an alternative and efficient means of accomplishing electronics that are impervious to temperature and radiation. For example, nitrogen-incorporated nanocrystalline diamond has been lithographically micropatterned to use the material as an electron field emitter. Arrays of laterally arranged 'finger-like' nanodiamond emitters constitute the cathode in a versatile diode configuration with a small interelectrode separation. A low diode turn-on voltage of 7V and a high emission current of 90 microA at an anode voltage of 70V (electric field of approx. 7V microm(-1)) are reported for the nanodiamond lateral device. Also, a FE triode amplifier based on aligned CNTs with a low turn-on voltage and a small gate leakage current has been developed.