AVS 49th International Symposium
    Nanotubes: Science and Applications Topical Conference Tuesday Sessions
       Session NT-TuM

Paper NT-TuM7
Electrostatically Focused Microfabricated Field Emission Electron Sources with Single Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofiber Cathodes

Tuesday, November 5, 2002, 10:20 am, Room C-209

Session: Nanotubes: Electronics and Field Emission
Presenter: M.A. Guillorn, Oak Ridge National Lab
Authors: M.A. Guillorn, Oak Ridge National Lab
A.V. Melechko, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville
M.D. Hale, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville
R.J. Kasica, Oak Ridge National Lab
V.I. Merkulov, Oak Ridge National Lab
E.D. Ellis, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville
D.K. Hensley, Oak Ridge National Lab
M.L. Simpson, Oak Ridge National Lab
L.R. Baylor, Oak Ridge National Lab
J.H. Whealton, Oak Ridge National Lab
D.H. Lowndes, Oak Ridge National Lab
Correspondent: Click to Email
Electron beam lithography using a single beam cannot achieve acceptable throughput levels to become a viable manufacturing technology. The digital electrostatic e-beam array lithography (DEAL) concept under development at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory proposes circumventing this problem by writing simultaneously with millions of e-beams from a massively parallel and digitally programmable array of microfabricated electron sources. Such a system will require a robust field emission (FE) source of electrons capable of operation in moderate vacuum. In previous work we have shown that microfabricated FE sources using a single vertically aligned carbon nanofiber (VACNF) cathode are well suited for this application.@footnote 1@ The ability to synthesize individual VACNF deterministically and incorporate them into conventional device fabrication processes distinguishes this material from other nanostructured graphitic carbon-based FE cathodes. By extending the fabrication process presented in our earlier work we have realized multi-electrode FE devices using this technology. Here we present the design, fabrication and characterization of prototype electrostatically focused FE electron sources intended for use in the DEAL system. The dc operating characteristics of these devices were investigated and fit well to the Fowler-Nordheim model of FE. The divergence of the emitted electron beam from unfocussed devices was evaluated using a microchannel plate system and found to be between 10 and 15 degrees. The effect of the focusing electrodes was analyzed using this system and shown to dramatically improve the focus of the beam. A discussion of these results along with modeling of the device behavior will be presented. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@M.A. Guillorn, A.V. Melechko, L.R. Baylor, E.D. Ellis, et al, Appl. Phys. Lett. 79, 3506 (2001).