Field emission device with buffer layer and method of making

An electron emission apparatus comprising:

• a substrate;
• a resistor layer for opposing, but not completely preventing, passage of an electrical current therethrough, said resistor layer:
• being positioned over said substrate;
• having a first and second opposing surfaces;
• and
• having one or more discontinuities in said resistor layer extending from said first opposing surface to said second opposing surface;
• an electron emission tip for emitting electrons upon being exposed to an electric field, said electron emission tip being disposed upon resistor layer;
• and
• a buffer layer interleaved between said substrate layer and said resistor layer, each of said one or more discontinuities terminating at said buffer layer, said buffer layer preventing delamination of said resistor layer from said substrate.

An electron emission apparatus comprising:

• a substrate;
• a cathode conductive layer over said substrate;
• a resistor layer for opposing, but not completely preventing, passage of an electrical current therethrough, said resistor layer:
• being positioned over cathode conductive layer;
• having a first and second opposing surfaces;
• and
• having one or more discontinuities in said resistor layer extending from said first opposing surface to said second opposing surface;
• an electron emission tip for emitting electrons upon being exposed to an electric field, said electron emission tip being disposed upon resistor layer;
• a dielectric layer over both of said substrate and said resistor layer;
• a gate electrode over said dielectric layer, said gate electrode including a gate conductive layer;
• and
• a buffer layer interleaved between said cathode conductive layer and said resistor layer, each of said one or more discontinuities terminating at said buffer layer, said buffer layer preventing short circuiting between said gate conductive layer and said cathode conductive layer.

An electron emission apparatus comprising:

• a substrate including:
• a glass layer;
• and
• an insulative layer on said glass layer;
• a cathode plate on said substrate including:
• a cathode conductive layer on said substrate;
• a buffer layer comprising an undoped amorphous silicon layer on both of said cathode conductive layer and said insulative layer;
• a resistor layer positioned on said buffer layer;
• and
• an electron emission tip on said resistor layer;
• a dielectric layer on said cathode plate;
• a gate electrode on said dielectric layer including:
• a gate semiconductive layer;
• and
• a gate conductive layer;
• an aperture extending through each of said gate conductive layer, said gate semiconductive layer, and said dielectric layer, said aperture being formed around said electron emission tip, said electron emission tip extending into said aperture;
• and
• an anode plate over said gate electrode, said anode plate being separated from said gate electrode, said anode plate being positioned such that said electron emission tip extends away from said resistor layer toward said anode plate.

An electron emission apparatus comprising:

• a substrate including a glass layer and an insulative layer including silicon dioxide on said glass layer;
• a cathode plate on said substrate including:
• a cathode conductive layer composed of chromium on said substrate;
• a buffer layer composed of an alloy of undoped amorphous silicon and hydrogen, said buffer layer being positioned on both of said cathode conductive layer and said insulative layer, said buffer layer having a thickness in a range from about 200 Å to about 1,000 Å;
• a resistor layer composed of boron-doped amorphous silicon on said buffer layer, a portion of said resistor layer being positioned over said cathode conductive layer and having a thickness in a range from about 3,000 Å to about 5,000 Å;
• and
• an electron emission tip composed of phosphorus-doped amorphous silicon on said resistor layer;
• a dielectric layer composed of silicon dioxide on said cathode plate;
• a gate electrode on said dielectric layer including a gate semiconductive layer composed of phosphorus-doped amorphous silicon and a gate conductive layer composed of chromium;
• an aperture extending through each of said gate conductive layer, said gate semiconductive layer, and said dielectric layer, said aperture being formed around said electron emission tip, said electron emission tip extending into said aperture;
• and
• an anode plate over said gate electrode, said anode plate including a transparent panel and cathodoluminescent material.

An electron emission apparatus comprising a plurality of field emission devices, each said field emission device including:

• a substrate comprising a conductive layer;
• a buffer layer comprising an undoped amorphous silicon layer on said substrate;
• a resistor layer for opposing, but not completely preventing, passage of an electrical current therethrough, said resistor layer being positioned on said buffer layer;
• and
• an electron emission tip for emitting electrons upon being exposed to an electric field, said electron emission tip being disposed upon said resistor layer.

An electron emission apparatus comprising:

• an array of field emission devices, each said field emission device including:
• a substrate comprising a conductive layer;
• a buffer comprising an undoped amorphous silicon layer on said substrate;
• a resistor layer for opposing, but not completely preventing, passage of an electrical current therethrough, said resistor layer being positioned on said buffer layer;
• and
• an electron emission tip for emitting electrons upon being exposed to an electric field, said electron emission tip being disposed upon said resistor layer;
• and
• a display panel over said array, said display panel containing cathodoluminescent material that emits light upon being excited by electrons, said display panel being positioned for receiving electrons emitted from said electron emission tip.

An electron emission apparatus comprising:

• an array of field emission devices, each said field emission device including:
• a substrate;
• a resistor layer for opposing, but not completely preventing, passage of an electrical current therethrough, said resistor layer:
• being positioned over said substrate;
• having a first and second opposing surfaces;
• and
• having one or more discontinuities in said resistor layer extending from said first opposing surface to said second opposing surface;
• an electron emission tip for emitting electrons upon being exposed to an electric field, said electron emission tip being disposed upon resistor layer;
• and
• a buffer layer interleaved between said substrate layer and said resistor layer, each of said one or more discontinuities terminating at said buffer layer, said buffer layer preventing delamination of said resistor layer from said substrate;
• and
• a display panel over said array, said display panel containing cathodoluminescent material that emits light upon being excited by electrons, said display panel being positioned for receiving electrons emitted from said electron emission tip.

An electron emission apparatus comprising:

• an array of field emission devices, each said field emission device including:
• a substrate;
• a cathode conductive layer over said substrate;
• a resistor layer for opposing, but not completely preventing, passage of an electrical current therethrough, said resistor layer being positioned over said cathode conductive layer, said resistor layer having a first and second opposing surfaces and one or more discontinuities in said resistor layer extending from said first opposing surface to said second opposing surface;
• an electron emission tip for emitting electrons upon being exposed to an electric field, said electron emission tip being disposed upon resistor layer;
• a dielectric layer over both of said substrate and said resistor layer;
• a gate electrode over said dielectric layer, said gate electrode including a gate conductive layer;
• and
• a buffer layer interleaved between said cathode conductive layer and said resistor layer, each of said one or more discontinuities terminating at said buffer layer, said buffer layer preventing short circuiting between said gate conductive layer and said cathode conductive layer;
• and
• a display panel over said array, said display panel containing cathodoluminescent material that emits light upon being excited by electrons, said display panel being positioned for receiving electrons emitted from said electron emission tip.

An electron emission apparatus comprising:

• an array of field emission devices, each said field emission device including:
• a substrate including:
• a glass layer;
• and
• an insulative layer on said glass layer;
• a cathode plate on said substrate including:
• a cathode conductive layer on said substrate;
• an undoped amorphous silicon layer on both of said cathode conductive layer and said insulative layer;
• a resistor layer positioned on said undoped amorphous silicon layer;
• and
• an electron emission tip on said resistor layer;
• a dielectric layer on said cathode plate;
• a gate electrode on said dielectric layer including:
• a gate semiconductive layer;
• and
• a gate conductive layer;
• and
• an aperture extending through each of said gate conductive layer, said gate semiconductive layer, and said dielectric layer, said aperture being formed around said electron emission tip, said electron emission tip extending into said aperture;
• and
• an anode plate over said array of electron emission tips, said anode plate including a display panel having cathodoluminescent material that emits light when excited by electrons.