Lateral miniaturized vacuum devices

Two groups of lateral cold emitter triodes have been fabricated. One group consists of triangular-shaped metallic emitters separated several microns from a collector electrode. An extraction electrode is placed close to the tip of the emitter. The second group consists of a tungsten filament emitter that is anchored to the sidewall of a polycrystalline silicon layer. An extraction electrode and a collector complete the device. Initial fabrication of the first group was performed on glass substrates, and testing took place at a pressure of 3-6*10/sup -6/ torr. To decrease potential substrate leakage, subsequent devices have been fabricated on fused silica substrates or on thermally oxidized silicon wafers. To increase electrical performance by decreasing adsorption related arcing, devices are now being tested at a pressure of 8*10/sup -9/ torr.<>