Low temperature process for sharpening tapered silicon structures
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorTianhong Zhang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of sharpening a tapered or pointed silicon structure, such as a silicon field emitter. The method includes oxidizing the silicon field emitter to form an oxide layer thereon and removing the oxide layer. Oxidizing occurs at a low temperature and forms a relatively thin (e.g., about 20 Å to about 40 Å) oxide layer on the silicon field emitter. The oxide layer may be removed by etching. The method may be employed to sharpen existing silicon structures or in fabricating tapered or pointed silicon structures. A silicon field emitter that has been sharpened or fabricated in accordance with the method is substantially free of crystalline defects and includes an emitter tip having a diameter as small as about 40 Å to about 20 Å or less.
Claims28
A method for fabricating a sharpened silicon structure, comprising:
- patterning a silicon-on-glass substrate to define a rough silicon structure;
- oxidizing a surface of said rough silicon structure to form a first oxide layer thereon;
- removing said first oxide layer from said rough silicon structure to define a silicon structure;
- oxidizing a surface of said silicon structure at a temperature of about 100° C. or less to form a second oxide layer thereon;
- and
- removing said second oxide layer from said silicon structure to define said sharpened silicon structure.
A method for fabricating a sharpened silicon structure, comprising:
- patterning a substrate comprising silicon to define a rough silicon structure;
- oxidizing a surface of said rough silicon structure to form a first oxide layer thereon;
- removing said first oxide layer from said rough silicon structure to define a silicon structure;
- oxidizing a surface of said silicon structure at a temperature of about 100° C. or less to form a second oxide layer thereon;
- and
- removing said second oxide layer from said silicon structure to define said sharpened silicon structure.
A method for fabricating a plurality of finished field emitters, comprising:
- patterning a silicon-on-glass substrate to define a plurality of rough field emitters;
- oxidizing a surface of each of said plurality of rough field emitters to form a first oxide layer thereon;
- removing said first oxide layer from each of said plurality of rough field emitters to define a plurality of silicon field emitters;
- oxidizing a surface of each of said plurality of silicon field emitters at a temperature of about 100° C. or less to form a second oxide layer thereon;
- and
- removing said second oxide layer from each of said plurality of silicon field emitters to define the plurality of finished field emitters.
A method for fabricating a plurality of finished field emitters, comprising:
- patterning a substrate comprising silicon to define a plurality of rough field emitters;
- oxidizing a surface of each of said plurality of rough field emitters to form a first oxide layer thereon;
- removing said first oxide layer from each of said plurality of rough field emitters to define a plurality of silicon field emitters;
- oxidizing a surface of each of said plurality of silicon field emitters at a temperature of about 100° C. or less to form a second oxide layer thereon;
- and
- removing said second oxide layer from each of said plurality of silicon field emitters to define the plurality of finished field emitters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.