Behavior of the solid-state field-controlled planar emitters under extreme working conditions

Summary form only given. Solid-state field-controlled emission (SSE) cold cathodes present electron emission characteristics, different from the conventional thermionic and field emissions, that are of interest for numerous applications in vacuum microelectronics. The SSE cold cathode structure is characterized by the presence of an ultrathin layer of a large-bandgap semiconductor (UTSC) of few nanometer thickness deposited on a metallic surface. For the SSE, we have proposed a serial two-step mechanism based on the formation of a large space charge injected into the UTSC to create a surface with low or negative electron affinity (Vu Thien Binh et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. vol. 85, pp. 864-867, 2000). The electron emission is then regulated by applying an electric field, in the range of 100 V/μm, in order to control the height and the thickness of the surface barrier. In this study, we address the emission properties of planar SSE cold cathodes, with particular emphasis on the upper limits with regard to the emission currents and the working pressures