Electron emitter apparatus, a fabrication process for the same and a device utilising the same
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorsTakehisa ISHIDA, Wei Beng Ng
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A field effect electron emitting apparatus is prepared by depositing a plurality of nano-wires 216 onto a substrate 200 having a cathode layer 214. The deposition occurs by suspending the nano-wires 216 in a plating solution, and plating the substrate with a metal layer 202, thereby entrapping the nano-wires. The nano-wires 216 are composed of an electrically-conductive magnetic material, and the deposition process is carried out in the presence of a magnetic field perpendicular to the substrate 200 so that the nano-wires 216 are aligned by the field.
Claims19
A field effect electron emitting apparatus comprising:
- a substrate,
- one or more cathodes formed on the substrate,
- a metal layer in electrical contact with the cathode or cathodes, and
- a plurality of nano-wires embedded in said metal layer, at least a portion of the nano-wires being exposed from said metal layer,
- wherein the nano-wires are composed of magnetic material.
An electron emitting apparatus as claimed in any of the above claims wherein the material of the nano-wire includes at least one of Ni, Fe or Co.
An electron emitting apparatus as claimed in any of the above claims wherein the material of the nano-wires is a metal or a metal oxide.
An electron emitting apparatus as claimed in any of the above claims wherein the average diameter of the nano-wire electron emitters is less than 200 nm.
An electron emitting apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which there are a plurality of said cathodes, the metal layer being partitioned into regions in electrical contact with respective ones of the cathodes.
A method of manufacturing a field effect electron emitting apparatus comprising:
- contacting a substrate including a cathode with a plating solution comprising magnetic nano-wires in the presence of a magnetic field perpendicular to the major surface of the substrate;
- plating a metal layer onto the substrate, thereby incorporating the magnetic nano-wires into the metal layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.