Back to results
US 6,825,596 B1Granted
Electron emitters with dopant gradient
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorDavid A. Cathey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Electron emitters and a method of fabricating emitters which have a concentration gradient of impurities, such that the highest concentration of impurities is at the apex of the emitters, and decreases toward the base of the emitters. The method comprises the steps of doping, patterning, etching, and oxidizing the substrate, thereby forming the emitters having impurity gradients.
Claims30
An emitter comprising:
- a single-layered substrate formed of a first material;
- a tapered protuberance integrally formed from the first material of said single-layered substrate, said protuberance having an apex and a base;
- a first dopant dispersed through said protuberance in a dopant concentration having a gradient, said dopant concentration greater at said apex, decreasing toward said base, and zero at said base;
- and
- a second dopant dispersed through said protuberance in a dopant concentration having a gradient, said dopant concentration greater at said apex, decreasing toward said base, and zero at said base, said second dopant being different than said first dopant.
2 more elements
An emitter formed from a substrate comprising:
- a single layer of a substrate composition including a first substrate-projecting composition, a second composition disposed within the first substrate-projecting composition, and a third composition disponsed within said first substrate projecting composition, a geometric configuration having a base and an apex formed from said first substrate-projecting composition, said first substrate-projecting composition having a first oxidation rate, a second composition disposed within said first substrate-projecting composition forming said geometric configuration in a second composition concentration having a concentration generally zero at said base and having a gradient increasing in concentration from said base to a maximum concentration at said apex, said second composition having a second oxidation rate substantially greater than said first oxidation rate, and a third composition disposed within said first substrate-projecting composition forming said geometric configuration in a second composition concentration having a concentration generally zero at said base and having a gradient increasing in concentration from said base to a maximum concentration at said apex, said third composition having a third oxidation rate different than said first oxidation rate and said second oxidation rate.
An emitter formed from a substrate comprising:
- a substrate having a single layer of a composition, said substrate comprising at least one integral geometric configuration formed from said composition of said substrate, said at least one geometric configuration having a base and an apex formed from said composition including a first constituent of said composition, a second constituent, and a third constituent of said composition, said third constituent having a concentration gradient in said at least one geometric configuration of said composition increasing from generally zero at said base to said apex, said composition having a consumption rate defined as a function of a second constituent concentration gradient and said third constituent concentration gradient.
An emitter array comprising:
- a single-layered substrate including a first composition, said first composition comprising a conductive or a semiconductive material;
- a plurality of geometric configurations having a base and an apex formed in and of a portion of said substrate from said first composition, said first composition having a first oxidation rate;
- a second composition disposed within each of said geometric configurations in a second composition concentration gradient increasing from generally zero at said base to said apex, said second composition having a second oxidation rate substantially greater than said first oxidation rate;
- and
- a third composition disposed within each of said geometric configurations in a second composition concentration gradient increasing from generally zero at said base to said apex, said third composition having a third oxidation rate different than said first oxidation rate and said second oxidation rate.
2 more elements
An emitter array comprising:
- a single-layered substrate including a first constituent, said first constituent comprising a conductive or a semiconductive material;
- and
- a plurality of geometric configurations, each geometric configuration having a base and an apex formed from a portion of said substrate from said first constituent, each geometric configuration of geometric configurations having a second constituent concentration gradient increasing from generally zero at said base to a maximum concentration at said apex, each of said geometric configurations having a consumption rate defined as a function of said second constituent concentration gradient and having a third constituent concentration gradient increasing from generally zero at said base to a maximum concentration at said apex, each of said geometric configurations having a consumption rate defined as a function of said third constituent concentration gradient.
An emitter comprising:
- a cold cathode formed from a single layered substrate having at least one dopant located in the upper portion thereof;
- an apex having a first dopant concentration;
- a generally dopant-free base integral to said substrate;
- and
- a middle area between said apex and said base having a second dopant concentration less than said first dopant concentration, said second dopant concentration having a decreasing gradient ranging from said apex to said base, said first dopant concentration having a decreasing gradient generally equal to said gradient of said second dopant concentration.
2 more elements
A field emission site, comprising:
- a generally pure single layered substrate formed of a first material, a second material, and a third material;
- and
- a cathode formed from said single layered substrate, said cathode having an apex and a base and defining an increasing range of widths from said apex to said base, said cathode having a purity of a mixture of said first material, said second material, and said third material of said single layered substrate generally directly proportional to said range of widths, said base generally pure formed of said first material and said third material, said apex having said second material located therein and substantially no third material located therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.