Field emission tip and process for making same

Abstract

A field emission tip on which a metal adsorbate has been selectively deposited, and a method by which it may be manufactured. In a vacuum, a clean field emission tip is subjected to heating pulses in the presence of an electrostatic field to create thermal field buildup of a selected plane. Emission patterns from the selected plane are observed, and the process of heating the tip within the electrostatic field is repeated until emission is observed from the desired plane. The adsorbate is then evaporated onto the tip. The tip constructed by this process is selectively faceted, with the emitting planar surface having a reduced work function and the non-emitting planar surfaces having an increased work function. A metal adsorbate deposited on the tip so prepared results in a field emitter tip having substantially improved emission characteristics.

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