A new concept of lateral GaAs field emitter for sensor applications

Field emission from metals and semiconductors has received remarkable attention in recent years due to their promise as high-frequency devices as well as for flat-panel displays. A further application of field emitters rely on the fact that the field emission current density strongly depends on the distance between the anode and the cathode. Hence this effect is predestinated for sensing of vibration, acceleration and pressure. We present a novel lateral field emitter structure based on GaAs for sensing applications.