| AVS 63rd International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| MEMS and NEMS | Friday Sessions |
| Session MN+MS-FrM |
| Session: | Radiation Effect in Emerging Micro/Nano Structures, Devices, and Systems |
| Presenter: | Jason Amsden, Duke University |
| Authors: | J.J. Amsden, Duke University E.J. Radauscher, Duke University T. von Windheim, Duke University K.H. Gilchrist, RTI International S.T. Di Dona, Duke University Z.E. Russell, Duke University L.Z. Scheick, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology J.R. Piascik, RTI International C.B. Parker, Duke University B.R. Stoner, RTI International J.T. Glass, Duke University |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Radiation survivability of MEMS microelectronic circuits with carbon nanotube field emitters
Jason J. Amsden,†* Erich J. Radauscher,† Tasso von Windheim, † Kristin H. Gilchrist,§ Shane T. Di Dona,† Zach E. Russell,† Leif Z. Scheick,^ Jeffrey R. Piascik, § Charles B. Parker,† Brian R. Stoner, §,† Jeffrey T. Glass †
† Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Duke University, 130 Hudson Hall, Box 90291, Durham, NC 27708, USA
§ Engineering and Applied Physics Division, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
^ Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91108
*e-mail: jason.amsden@duke.edu [mailto:jason.amsden@duke.edu]
INVITED ABSTRACT
Solid-state technology dominates the consumer electronics market because of the low cost associated with large-scale integration. However, there are numerous applications in which solid-state devices are unreliable or do not provide adequate performance, particularly applications with military systems operating in high radiation environments. In these applications, vacuum microelectronic devices present an attractive alternative. Despite the performance advantages, the use of vacuum electronics has been limited because there is no versatile and reliable microscale platform that enables integration of large numbers of vacuum circuit elements on a single substrate. To address this need, RTI International in collaboration with Duke University has been developing a Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) platform that enables integration of high-performance microelectronic vacuum components into functional circuits on a single silicon substrate.1 We have demonstrated a wide variety of vacuum electronic devices including vacuum triodes and ion sources using a freestanding panel approach fabricated with the Polysilicon Multi-User MEMS Process (PolyMUMPS) with integrated carbon nanotube field emission cathodes. While these devices avoid the radiation-induced charge carrier problems in solid-state devices, other effects of radiation on this MEMS platform have not been studied. The presentation will present our preliminary findings on the radiation effects on this vacuum microelectronics platform.
1. Stoner, B. R.; Piascik, J. R.; Gilchrist, K. H.; Parker, C. B.; Glass, J. T., A Bipolar Vacuum Microelectronic Device. Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on 2011, 58, 3189-3194.
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Basic Research Award # HDTRA1-15-1-0071, to Duke University. The contents does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the federal government, and no official endorsement should be inferred