Electron transparent membrane for cold cathode devices
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsAkintunde I. Akinwande, Stephen Angelo Guerrera
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to some aspects, a cold cathode device is provided, the device comprising a substrate, a field electron emitter disposed upon the substrate and configured to emit electrons in a first direction, and a structure encapsulating the field electron emitter, thereby creating an airtight seal around the field electron emitter, at least a portion of the structure being an atomically thin membrane positioned in the first direction with respect to the field electron emitter. According to some embodiments, at least one einzel lens may be located within the structure and configured to direct electrons emitted by the field electron emitter.
Claims19
A cold cathode device, the device comprising:
- a substrate;
- a field electron emitter disposed upon the substrate and configured to emit electrons in a first direction;
- a structure encapsulating the field electron emitter, thereby creating an airtight seal around the field electron emitter with the field electron emitter arranged in an interior of the structure, at least a portion of the structure being an atomically thin membrane positioned in the first direction with respect to the field electron emitter;
- and
- at least one electrostatic or magnetic lens located within the structure and configured to direct electrons emitted by the field electron emitter,
- wherein ambient pressure inside the structure is less than 1 Torr,
- wherein the structure fully encapsulates the field electron emitter such that the structure blocks gas from entering or exiting the interior of the structure and maintains the ambient pressure inside the structure at less than 1 Torr, and
- wherein the cold cathode device is configured to operate the field electron emitter as a cathode and the atomically thin membrane as an anode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.