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US 10,319,554 B2Granted
Compact modular cathode
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsAkintunde I. Akinwande, Stephen Angelo Guerrera
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Example compact modular electron beam units are provided that can be used to generate electron beams using field emitter elements. A modular electron beam unit may comprise an electron beam source including a base portion, at least one field emitter element coupled to the base portion, the field emitter element including a field emitter tip, at least one gate electrode and a membrane window disposed over the at least one gate electrode.
Claims20
A modular electron beam unit comprising:
- an electron beam source comprising:
- a base portion;
- at least one field emitter element coupled to the base portion, comprising:
- a first end that is proximate to the base portion;
- a field emitter tip disposed proximate to a second end that is opposite to the first end;
- an ungated transistor channel formed between the first and the second end of the at least one emitter element;
- and
- at least one gate electrode disposed proximate to the second end of the at least one field emitter element, to apply a potential difference proximate to the field emitter tip of the at least one field emitter elements, thereby extracting electrons from the at least one field emitter tip to form an electron beam;
- and
- a membrane window disposed over the at least one gate electrode, the membrane window being formed of a material that is selectively transmissive to electrons but impermeable to gas molecules, and the membrane window being coupled to the at least one gate electrode such that the modular electron beam unit has low permeability to oxidizing gaseous molecules.
7 more elements
A modular electron beam unit comprising:
- a modular housing unit that is selectively impermeable to gas molecules including oxidizing gaseous molecules, the modular housing unit comprising:
- a base portion;
- a membrane window that is selectively transmissive to electrons and impermeable to gas molecules;
- an electron beam source disposed in the modular housing unit, the electron beam source comprising:
- at least one field emitter element disposed over the base portion, comprising:
- a first end that is proximate to the base portion;
- a field emitter tip disposed proximate to a second end that is opposite to the first end;
- an ungated transistor formed at least partially in a semiconductor nanowire;
- and
- at least one gate electrode disposed proximate to the second end of the at least one field emitter element, to apply a potential difference proximate to the field emitter tip of the at least one field emitter elements, thereby extracting electrons from the at least one field emitter tip to form an electron beam;
- and
- at least one anode component disposed in the modular housing unit and configured to accelerate the electron beam in a path directed at the membrane window of the modular housing unit.
9 more elements
A modular electron beam unit comprising:
- a modular housing unit that is selectively impermeable to gas molecules including oxidizing gaseous molecules, the modular housing unit comprising:
- a base portion;
- and
- a membrane window made of a two-dimensional material that is selectively transmissive to electrons and impermeable to gas molecules;
- and
- an electron beam source disposed in the modular housing unit, the electron beam source comprising:
- a plurality of field emitter elements disposed over the base portion in at least one array, each field emitter element of the plurality of field emitter elements comprising:
- a first end that is proximate to the base portion;
- and
- a field emitter tip disposed proximate to a second end that is opposite to the first end;
- and
- at least one gate electrode disposed proximate to the plurality of field emitter elements, to apply a potential difference proximate to at least one field emitter tip of the plurality of field emitter elements, thereby extracting electrons from the at least one field emitter tip in a direction away from the at least one field emitter tip;
- and
- at least one electrostatic electrode configured to direct the electrons in an emission path that crosses at least a portion of the membrane window of the modular housing unit, thereby forming an electron beam.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.