AVS 46th International Symposium
    Flat Panel Displays Topical Conference Tuesday Sessions
       Session FP-TuM

Paper FP-TuM2
Demonstration of Low Work Function Cu-Li Alloy Coatings for Edge Field Emission Devices@footnote *@

Tuesday, October 26, 1999, 8:40 am, Room 604

Session: Novel Materials for Field Emission Displays and Technologies for Flexible Displays
Presenter: J.C. Tucek, Argonne National Laboratory
Authors: J.C. Tucek, Argonne National Laboratory
A.R. Krauss, Argonne National Laboratory
O. Auciello, Argonne National Laboratory
D.M. Gruen, Argonne National Laboratory
D.C. Mancini, Argonne National Laboratory
N. Moldovan, Argonne National Laboratory
Correspondent: Click to Email
Low work function alkali metals have been shown to significantly enhance field electron emission when used as coatings for microtip field emission arrays (FEAs). Maximum enhancement of electron emission is expected for alkali metal coatings 0.5-1 monolayer in thickness. However, alkali metals are both physically and chemically unstable in layers exceeding a few Å in thickness, and therefore, it is extremely difficult to fabricate and maintain, during operation, such thin layers on FEAs. We have recently demonstrated that lithium alloy coatings based on materials developed at Argonne National Laboratory provide very stable, low work function coatings with low threshold field (~ 3 V/µm) and enhanced electron emission for application to FEAs.@footnote 1@ These alloy coatings maintain a segregated monolayer of lithium on the surface of the alloy, even under adverse environmental conditions or ion bombardment. As an extension of this work, Cu-Li coated edge emitters are produced by coating Si posts, followed by ion beam sputtering of the alloy and a selective etching of Si, resulting in the formation of hollow cylinders with nanometer thick Cu-Li walls. It can be expected that Cu-Li edge emitters will provide a larger emitter area, and therefore should be more robust than the Si FEAs while maintaining a similar low field emission threshold. In addition, we have performed tests using a simulated flat panel display configuration, which provide information about the emission uniformity of these edge emitters. The emission characteristics of the new Cu-Li-based edge emitters will be discussed in relation to the alloy composition and the geometry of the emitters. Re abstract entitled "Demonstration of Low Work Function Cu-Li Alloy Coatings for Edge Field Emission Devices" by J.C. Tucek et. al., submitted for presentation at the 46th International Symposium of the American Vacuum Society, Seattle, Washington, October 25-29, 1999, please be advised that: The submitted manuscript has been created by the University of Chicago as Operator of Argonne National Laboratory ("Argonne") under Contract No. W-31-109-ENG-38 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government retains for itself, and others acting on its behalf, a paid-up, nonexclusive, irrevocable worldwide license in said article to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, by or on behalf of the Government. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@ O. Auciello, et. al., J. Appl. Phys. (in press, 1999). @footnote *@ Work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, BES-Material Sciences, under Contract W-31-109-ENG-38 and DARPA/ONR under contract N00014-97-F0905.