Low voltage nanoscale vacuum electronic devices

An electronic device, comprising:

• a first conducting layer;
• a second conducting layer;
• and
• an insulating layer provided between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer;
• wherein the electronic device includes at least one side wall that extends from the first conducting layer to the second conducting layer and that includes at least a portion of each of the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer and the insulating layer, wherein the electronic device is structured such that responsive to a bias voltage being applied between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer, a two dimensional electron system is induced in at least one of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer, and such that electrons from the two dimensional electron system are emitted from the at least one side wall side wall as a result of Coulombic repulsion and travel in air from the one of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer to the other of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer, wherein the first and second conducting layers are made of conductive materials that can provide mobile charge carriers (electrons or holes) and may include metal, semiconductor, oxide semiconductor, graphene and graphite material, and the insulating layer is made of an insulating material and may include air/vacuum and dielectric material such as oxide, nitride, wide bandgap semiconductor material, and wherein the conductive material is p-type silicon semiconductor, wherein responsive to the bias voltage the two dimensional electron system is induced in the first conducting layer, and wherein the electrons emitted from the at least one side wall travel in air from the first conducting layer to the second conducting layer.

An electronic device, comprising:

• a first conducting layer;
• a second conducting layer;
• and
• an insulating layer provided between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer;
• wherein the electronic device includes at least one side wall that extends from the first conducting layer to the second conducting layer and that includes at least a portion of each of the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer and the insulating layer, wherein the electronic device is structured such that responsive to a bias voltage being applied between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer, a two dimensional electron system is induced in at least one of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer, and such that electrons from the two dimensional electron system are emitted from the at least one side wall side wall as a result of Coulombic repulsion and travel in air from the one of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer to the other of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer, and wherein a thickness of the insulating layer is on the same order as or less than a mean free path of electrons in air (˜60 nm).

An electronic device, comprising:

• a first conducting layer;
• a second conducting layer;
• and
• an insulating layer provided between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer;
• wherein the electronic device includes at least one side wall that extends from the first conducting layer to the second conducting layer and that includes at least a portion of each of the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer and the insulating layer, wherein the electronic device is structured such that responsive to a bias voltage being applied between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer, a two dimensional electron system is induced in at least one of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer, and such that electrons from the two dimensional electron system are emitted from the at least one side wall side wall as a result of Coulombic repulsion and travel in air from the one of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer to the other of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer, wherein the electronic device includes a void channel extending at least from the bottom surface of the first conducting layer through the insulating layer and to the top surface of the second conducting layer, wherein the at least one side wall is formed by the void channel, and wherein the electronic device is a field effect transistor, wherein the insulating layer is provided on a top surface of the second conducting layer, wherein the electronic device further includes a third conducting layer and a second insulating layer, the third conducting layer and the second insulating layer being located between a top surface of the insulating layer and a bottom surface of the first conducting layer, and wherein the void channel extends at least from the bottom surface of the first conducting layer through the second insulating layer, the third conducting layer, the first insulating layer to the top surface of the second conducting layer.

An electronic device, comprising:

• a first conducting layer;
• a second conducting layer;
• and
• an insulating layer provided between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer;
• wherein the electronic device includes at least one side wall that extends from the first conducting layer to the second conducting layer and that includes at least a portion of each of the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer and the insulating layer, wherein the electronic device is structured such that responsive to a bias voltage being applied between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer, a two dimensional electron system is induced in at least one of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer, and such that electrons from the two dimensional electron system are emitted from the at least one side wall side wall as a result of Coulombic repulsion and travel in air from the one of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer to the other of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer, and wherein the first conducting layer comprises suspended graphene as an anode.