Claims
- 1. A method, comprising producing an expanded based carbon containing tip including:
fabricating a carbon containing expanded base on a substrate; and then fabricating a carbon containing extension on the expanded base.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein fabricating said carbon containing extension includes fabricating said carbon containing extension on an apex of said carbon containing expanded base.
- 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a catalyst that is coupled to said substrate before fabricating said carbon containing expanded base.
- 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the catalyst includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron and cobalt.
- 5. The method of claim 3, wherein providing a catalyst includes coating said substrate with an electron beam resist, patterning said electron beam resist, depositing a buffer layer on said substrate, depositing said catalyst on said buffer layer, and removing said electron beam resist.
- 6. The method of claim 3, further comprising heating said catalyst to form multiple catalyst droplets.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein fabricating said carbon containing expanded base includes providing a carbon source gas and an etchant gas.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein fabricating includes chemical vapor deposition.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein fabricating includes plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition.
- 10. The method of claim 9, wherein fabrication includes heating said substrate with a cathode to which said substrate is coupled.
- 11. The method of claim 9, wherein fabricating includes at least one technique selected from the group consisting of dc glow discharge plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, radio-frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition.
- 12. The method of claim 7, wherein the carbon source gas includes acetylene and the etchant gas includes ammonia.
- 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising transitioning from fabricating said carbon containing expanded base to fabricating said carbon containing extension.
- 14. The method of claim 13, wherein transitioning includes reducing the ratio of carbon source gas to etchant to effect a transition from expanded base growth to extension growth.
- 15. The method of claim 13, wherein transitioning includes lowering a process pressure to effect a transition from expanded base growth to extension growth.
- 16. The method of claim 13, wherein transitioning includes changing a plasma power to effect a transition from expanded base growth to extension growth.
- 17. The method of claim 13, wherein transitioning includes changing a discharge voltage to effect a transition from expanded base growth to extension growth.
- 18. The method of claim 13, wherein transitioning includes changing a process temperature to effect a transition from expanded base growth to extension growth.
- 19. An electron emitter made by the method of claim 1.
- 20. An apparatus, comprising:
a carbon containing expanded base coupled to a substrate; and a carbon containing extension coupled to said carbon containing expanded base.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said carbon containing expanded base is substantially cylindrically symmetrical and said carbon containing extension is substantially cylindrically symmetrical.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said carbon containing expanded base is substantially conical.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said carbon containing expanded base define a substantially solid cone.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said carbon containing expanded base defines a substantially hollow funnel.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said carbon containing extension is substantially cylindrical.
- 26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said carbon containing extension defines a substantially solid rod.
- 27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said carbon containing extension defines a substantially hollow tube.
- 28. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising another carbon containing expanded base coupled to said substrate; and another carbon containing extension coupled to the another carbon containing expanded base.
- 29. An electron emitter, comprising the apparatus of claim 20.
STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
[0001] This invention was made with United States Government support under contract to UT-Battelle, LLC. The Government has certain rights in this invention.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09795660 |
Feb 2001 |
US |
Child |
10715057 |
Nov 2003 |
US |