Field emission silicon surge absorber

Various studies are currently being conducted on microelectron source for its product applications. Having noted the high-speed properties of electrons issued from an emitter in a vacuum, we applied these to surge absorbers. Absorption properties and service life in surge voltage applications are crucial factors in rating surge absorbers. Tests confirmed that our surge absorber had absorption superior to conventional surge absorbers and that service life remained stable after some 10,000 surge voltage repetitions. Observation of the emitter after surge voltage application showed localized melting, indicating that emission concentrated in one area, causing the observed melting. q1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.