Surface pairs

A method of fabricating an electrode pair precursor comprising the steps:

• a. providing a substrate suitable for forming an electrode pair precursor useful in microelectronic or thermionic applications comprising undoped or doped silica or silicon;
• b. modifying a surface of said substrate to form a regular repeating pattern of a series of substantially equally spaced indents with substantially perpendicular walls and substantially sharp edges having dimensions selected to cause interference of wave probability functions and reduce work function of an electron passing through said indents, wherein a spaced distance between indents and a width dimension of said indents are substantially equal and comprise a distance on the order of about 1 micrometer (μm), and a depth of said indents comprises a distance on the order of about 10 nanometers (nm) or less;
• c. forming a first layer of a first material to cover said modified surface of said substrate so that said repeating pattern of spaced indents is filled and a surface of said first layer opposite said filled indents is substantially planar, wherein said first material comprises a material in which Fermi level can be shifted using wave properties of electrons in material having a periodic structured surface to allow reduction of apparent work function;
• d. forming a second layer of a second material to cover said planar surface of said first layer, wherein said second material is selected so that the adhesion of said second material to said first material can be carefully controlled and said second layer has a planar surface in contact with said first layer planar surface and an opposed planar surface;
• e. forming a third layer of a third material to cover said second layer opposed planar surface, wherein said third material is selected to have a Fermi level that can be shifted using wave properties of electrons in material having a periodic structured surface to allow reduction of apparent work function;
• f. modifying a surface of said third layer opposite said second layer opposed planar surface to form a regular repeating pattern of a series of substantially equally spaced indents having a configuration and dimensions substantially identical to the indents formed in said substrate;
• and
• g. forming a fourth layer to cover the modified third layer surface so that the regular repeating pattern of spaced indents in said third layer is filled and a substantially planar surface is formed on said fourth layer opposite the indents in the third layer to produce a composite electrode pair precursor, wherein said composite electrode pair precursor can be separated and said second material removed to form a pair of electrodes.