Submicron source of free electrons

Abstract

An original way of fabricating multitip microemitters based on the track membrane technology is suggested. Reproducibility of the geometrical parameters of microemitters with a tip diameter of 20–40 nm is achieved. For such tip diameters, the field emission mode sets in at a potential difference of 100–300 V. With these emitters used in diode and triode structures, the speed may be as high as ∼10−12 s. In experimental micro-emitters, a tip density of ∼106 cm−2 is reached. According to calculations, this value may provide technically reasonable field-emission currents. The suggested method of creating multitip microemitters is fairly simple, so that samples several tens of square centimeters in area can be obtained under laboratory conditions. Using special equipment, multitip microemitter arrays several hundred square meters in area can be fabricated.