# US 8,569,941 B2 · Diamondoid monolayers as electron emitters

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- Number: US 8,569,941 B2
- Document ID: US8569941B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/442,563
- Filed: 2012-04-09
- Published: 2012-08-23
- Granted: 2013-10-29
- Earliest claimed: 2007-02-12
- Assignees: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University; The Regents of the University of California
- Applicants: Wanli Yang; Jason D. Fabbri; Nicholas A. Melosh; Zahid Hussain; Zhi-Xun Shen
- Inventors: Wanli Yang; Jason D. Fabbri; Nicholas A. Melosh; Zahid Hussain; Zhi-Xun Shen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8569941B2

## CPC

- H01J 1/304: Field-emissive cathodes
- H01J 9/025: {of field emission cathodes}
- H01J 31/127: {using large area or array sources, i.e. essentially a source for each pixel group}
- H01J 2201/30457: Diamond
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

Provided are electron emitters based upon diamondoid monolayers, preferably self-assembled higher diamondoid monolayers. High intensity electron emission has been demonstrated employing such diamondoid monolayers, particularly when the monolayers are comprised of higher diamondoids. The application of such diamondoid monolayers can alter the band structure of substrates, as well as emit monochromatic electrons, and the high intensity electron emissions can also greatly improve the efficiency of field-effect electron emitters as applied to industrial and commercial applications.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electron emitter which comprises a diamondoid monolayer, wherein the emission process of the electron emitter involves electron tunneling emission, and the diamondoid layer comprises a silane derivatized higher diamondoid.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electron emitter of claim 1, wherein the electron affinity of a surface of the diamondoid monolayer is negative.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electron emitter of claim 1, wherein the diamondoid monolayer is on a conductive or semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The electron emitter of claim 3, wherein the substrate is comprised of gold, silver, silicon, platinum, palladium, aluminum or copper.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The electron emitter of claim 3, wherein the substrate is a silicon substrate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An electron display device comprising the electron emitter of claim 1.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The electron display device of claim 6, wherein the device is a flat panel display, a microwave amplifier, an electron microscope, an electron beam lithograph, a vacuum microelectronic device, solid state lighting, or an x-ray detector.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The electron display device of claim 7, wherein the diamondoid monolayer is a self-assembled monolayer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A flat panel display device comprising the electron emitter of claim 1.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A X-ray detector comprising the electron emitter of claim 1.

### Claim 11

A method of altering the band structure of a substrate, which comprises:
a) selecting a suitable substrate for electron emission by electron tunneling emission; and
b) applying a monolayer of a silane derivatized higher diamondoid thereon.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the surface of the diamondoid monolayer has an electron affinity that is negative.

### Claim 13

A method of emitting monochromatic electrons, comprising applying a narrowly defined energy potential to an electron emitter comprised of a silane derivatized higher diamondoid monolayer on a substrate to effect the emission of monochromatic electrons by electron tunneling emission.