p-n Junction controlled field emitter array cathode

An FEA comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate;
• an emitter surface formed on said substrate;
• a planar, permanent reverse-biased p-n junction disposed within said substrate parallel to said emitter surface, where said p-n junction is the boundary between a p-type layer and an n-type layer of semiconductor material, wherein said n-layer is disposed between said junction and said emitter surface and is isolated from all other emitter pyramid n-layers, said p-n junction for limiting the magnitude of the current density flowing there-through to j.sub.sat, where j.sub.sat is saturation current density of the reverse-biased junction;
• a plurality of isolation grooves formed in said emitter surface, wherein the bottom of said grooves is below said p-n junction;
• a plurality of isolation islands formed on said substrate, wherein each isolation island is circumscribed by said isolation grooves and wherein the area of each isolation island is substantially equal to a constant value, A.sub.p-n ;
• a plurality of emitter pyramids, each with a tip, sides, and a base, formed on said emitter surface wherein only one emitter pyramid is disposed on each isolation island so that the magnitude of the current emitted through the tip of each of said emitter pyramid is equal to:
• I=j.sub.sat .times.A.sub.p-n
• a grid, positioned above said emitter surface, for inducing the emission of electron current from the tips of said emitter pyramids where said grid is positively biased relative to said emitter pyramids with a bias sufficient to cause said p-n junction to operate in reverse-biased saturation.

An FEA comprising:

• a substrate formed from a single crystal silicon wafer;
• a planar emitter surface formed on said substrate where said emitter surface is parallel to the 100 plane of said substrate;
• a plurality of emitter pyramids formed on said emitter surface for emitting an electron current, each of said emitter pyramids including a p-type layer and an n-type layer with a planar reverse-biased p-n junction disposed therebetween, wherein said n-layer is isolated from all other emitter pyramid n-layers, said p-n junction being disposed parallel to said emitter surface and completely spanning the cross-section of the emitter pyramid so that an electron current flowing from the substrate to the tip must pass through the reverse-biased p-n junction and so that the magnitude of said electron current is equal to the saturation current density of said p-n junction multiplied by the area of said p-n junction;
• and
• a grid, disposed above the emitter surface, biased positively relative to said emitter pyramids with a bias voltage sufficient to cause said p-n junction to operate in reverse-biased saturation, said grid for inducing the emission of electron current from said emitter pyramids.

A method for providing a uniform, reproducible electron current from an FEA of the type with a plurality of emitter pyramids disposed on an emitter surface, with each emitter pyramid-emitter surface combination including a p-n junction formed for an n-type layer and a p-type layer of semiconductor material so that electron current flowing into said pyramid from said emitter surface must traverse said p-n junction, and wherein said p-n junction is oriented so that the n-layer is disposed between said junction and the tip of said emitter pyramid and is isolated from all other emitter pyramid n-layers, with all of said p-n junctions having an equal area, and including a conducting grid disposed above said plurality of emitter pyramids, said method comprising the steps of:

• biasing said conducting grid positively relative to the emitter pyramids so that an electron current is emitted by said emitter pyramids;
• and
• reverse-biasing said p-n junctions with a bias voltage sufficient to cause said p-n junctions to operate in reverse-bias saturation, so that the electron current emitted by each emitter pyramid must pass through the p-n junction associated therewith thereby limiting the magnitude of the electron current, I.sub.c, emitted by each emitter pyramid to
• I.sub.c =j.sub.sat .times.A.sub.p-n,
• where j.sub.sat is the saturation current density and A.sub.p-n is the area of each reverse-biased p-n junction.