US 7,030,388 B2 · Illuminant, and, electron beam detector, scanning electron microscope and mass spectroscope each including the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to an illuminant, etc., having a high response speed and a high luminous intensity. The illuminant comprises a substrate and a nitride semiconductor layer provided on one surface of the substrate. The nitride semiconductor layer emits fluorescence in response to incidence of electrons. At least part of the emitted fluorescence passes through the substrate, and then exits from the other surface of the substrate. Generation of the fluorescence is caused by incidence of electrons onto a quantum well structure of the nitride semiconductor layer and recombination of pairs of electrons and holes generated due to electron incidence, and the response speed of fluorescence generation is on the order of nanoseconds or less. Also, the luminous intensity of the fluorescence becomes equivalent to that of a conventional P47 fluorescent substance. Namely, the illuminant has a response speed and a luminous intensity that are sufficient for adaptation to scanning electron microscopes and mass spectroscopes.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An illuminant which converts incident electrons into fluorescence, comprising:

an entrance surface for taking the incident electrons into said illuminant;
an emitting surface for outputting at least part of the fluorescence converted from the incident electrons in said illuminant, said emitting surface opposing said entrance surface;
a substrate being transparent with respect to the fluorescence and having a first surface and a second surface that opposes said first surface and that corresponds to said emitting surface;
and
a nitride semiconductor layer provided on and in direct contact with said first surface of said substrate while covering said entire first surface of said substrate, said nitride semiconductor layer including a quantum well structure that emits fluorescence in response to the electron incidence having passed through said entrance surface.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Illuminant, and, electron beam detector, scanning electron microscope and mass spectroscope each including the same

Life of this patent

Illuminant, and, electron beam detector, scanning electron microscope and mass spectroscope each including the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8