Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T07:46:20.126Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Fabrication and Characterization of Singly-Addressable Arrays of Polysilicon Field-Emission Cathodes.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2011

N.N. Chubun ,
A.G. Chakhovskoi ,
C.E. Hunt  and
M. Hajra
N.N. Chubun
Affiliation:
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of California, Davis, CA. 95616, U.S.A
A.G. Chakhovskoi
Affiliation:
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of California, Davis, CA. 95616, U.S.A
C.E. Hunt
Affiliation:
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of California, Davis, CA. 95616, U.S.A
M. Hajra
Affiliation:
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of California, Davis, CA. 95616, U.S.A
Get access

Abstract

Polysilicon is a promising candidate material for field-emission microelectronics devices. It can be competitive for large-size, cost-sensitive applications such as flat-panel displays and micro electro-mechanical systems. Singly-addressable arrays of field-emission cells were fabricated in a matrix configuration using a subtractive process on Polysilicon-On-Insulator substrates. Matrix rows were fabricated as insulated polycrystalline silicon strips with sharp emission tips; and matrix columns were deposited as gold thin film electrodes with round gate openings. Ion implantation has been used to provide the required conductivity of the poly-Si layer. To reduce radius of curvature of the polysilicon tips, a sharpening oxidation process was used. The final device had polysilicon emission tips with end radii smaller than 15 nm, surrounded by gate apertures of 0.4 μm in diameter. Field emission properties of the cathodes were measured at a pressure of about 10-8 Torr, to emulate vacuum conditions available in sealed vacuum microelectronics devices. It was found that an emission current of 1 nA appears at a gate voltage of 25 V and can be increased up to 1μA at 70 V. Over this range of current, no “semiconductor” deviation from the Fowler-Nordheim equation was observed. I-V characteristics measured in cells of a 10x10 matrix, with a cell spacing of 50 μm demonstrated good uniformity and reproducibility.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 621: Symposia Q/R – Electron-Emissive Materials, Vacuum Microelectronics… , 2000 , R1.5.1
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Trujillo, J. T. and Hunt, C. E., low-voltage silicon gated field-emission cathodes for vacuum microelectronics and e-beam applications, JVST B, 11 (2), 1993, pp. 454–458,Google Scholar
2. Lee, J.H., Kang, S.W., Kim, S.G., Song, Y.H., Cho, K.I., Yoo, H.J. A New Fabrication method of Silicon Field Emitter Array with Local Oxidation of Polysilicon and Chemical-Mechanical-Polishing. Proceedings of the 9th International Vacuum microelectronics Conference, July 7-12, 1996, St. Petersburg, Russia, pp.415–418.Google Scholar
3. Boswell, E.C., Huq, S.E., Huang, M., Prewett, P.D., Wilshaw, P.R., Polycrystalline silicon field emitters. JVST B 14(3) May/Jun 1996, pp. 1910–1913.Google Scholar
4. Uh, H.S., Kwon, S.J., Lee, J.D. Process design and emission properties of gated n+ polycrystalline silicon field emitter arrays for flat panel display applications. JVST B 15(2) Mar/Apr 1997, pp. 472–476.Google Scholar
5. Ding, M., Kim, H., and Akinwande, A.I., High Uniformity and Low Turn-on Voltage Si FEAs Fabricated with CMP. Proceedings of the 12th International Vacuum microelectronics Conference, July 6-9, 1999, Darmstadt, Germany, pp.370–371.Google Scholar
6. Trujillo, J.T., Chakhovskoi, A.G. and Hunt, C. E., Low voltage silicon field emitters with gold gates, Proceedings of the 8th International Vacuum Microelectronics Conference, Portland, OR, July 30-Aug. 3, 1995, pp. 42–46.Google Scholar