# US 10,483,073 B2 · Fabrication of vacuum electronic components with self-aligned double patterning lithography > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,483,073 B2 - Document ID: US10483073B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/458,785 - Filed: 2017-03-14 - Published: 2017-09-14 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-14 - Assignees: Elwha LLC - Applicants: Elwha LLC - Inventors: Andrew T. Koch; Andrew R. Lingley; Max N. Mankin; Tony S. Pan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483073B2 ## CPC - H01J 9/02: Manufacture of electrodes or electrode systems - H01J 9/18: Assembling together the component parts of electrode systems - H01J 21/105: {with microengineered cathode and control electrodes, e.g. Spindt-type} - H01J 2209/012: Coating - Y10T 29/49156: with selective destruction of conductive paths - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract The present disclosure relates to methods of fabricating electronic devices or components thereof. The electronic devices can be vacuum electronic devices. The methods can include disposing a first material on or in a substrate. The methods can further include removing a portion of the first material to form one or more structure protruding from the substrate. The methods can further include disposing a second material onto the one or more structure of the first material, and then removing a portion of the second material to form one or more sidewall structures. A second portion of the one or more structures of the first material can also be removed to form a fabricated structure including the substrate and one or more sidewall structures protruding therefrom. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of fabricating a component of a vacuum electronic device, the method comprising: fabricating a component of a vacuum electronic device on or in a substrate, comprising: disposing a first material on or in the substrate; removing a portion of the first material to form one or more structures of the first material, each of the one or more structures protruding from the substrate and having a first surface and a second surface; disposing a second material onto the first and second surfaces of the one or more structures of the first material; removing a portion of the second material from the first surface of the one or more structures to form one or more sidewall structures of the second material, the one or more sidewall structures being disposed on the second surface of the one or more structures of the first material; removing a second portion of the one or more structures of the first material to form a fabricated structure comprising the substrate and one or more sidewall structures protruding from the substrate; and disposing a third material onto the one or more sidewall structures, wherein the third material is suspended by the one or more support structures. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: disposing the fabricated structure into a vacuum electronic device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: disposing the fabricated structure as an electrode of a vacuum electronic device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fabricated structure comprises a grid configured for a vacuum electronic device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fabricated structure comprises a grid and an anode configured for a vacuum electronic device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, metal, aluminum, tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, gold, palladium, chromium, nickel, and carbon. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein disposing the first material on or in the substrate comprises at least one of chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, sputter coating, evaporation, electroplating, spin coating, or spray coating. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising patterning or masking the first material prior to the step of removing the portion of the first material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein removing the portion of the first material comprises etching the portion of the first material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second material is conformally disposed on the one or more structures of the first material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, metal, aluminum, tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, gold, palladium, chromium, nickel, and carbon. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second material differs from the first material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein removing a portion of the second material comprises etching the second material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fabricated structure comprises a plurality of sidewall structures. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising removing a second portion of the one or more sidewall structures to reduce a width of the one or more sidewall structures. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: imprinting an imprint material with the fabricated structure to form a template comprising an imprinted structure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising removing a second portion of the one or more sidewall structures to reduce a width of the one or more sidewall structures prior to the imprinting step. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a stack of materials, the method further comprising: etching the stack of materials to form the component of the vacuum electronic device, wherein the one or more sidewall structures define an etch pattern of the stack of materials. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein removing the portion of the first material comprises etching the portion of the first material. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein removing a portion of the second material comprises etching the second material. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the third material comprises a grid configured for a vacuum electronic device. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the third material comprises a material selected form the group consisting of carbon nanotube (“CNT”) mesh, graphene, layered graphene/graphite, molybdenum compounds, and tungsten compounds. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising removing a second portion of the one or more sidewall structures to reduce a width of the one or more sidewall structures prior to disposing the third material onto the one or more sidewall structures.