Claims
- 1. A field emission cathode structure comprising:a structural substrate; an emitter material layer formed on said structural substrate as joined fast thereto, said emitter material layer being provided with at least one protruding emitter having a sharp tip, and being formed of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of W and Mo; an insulating layer formed on said emitter material layer and said emitter along a shape thereof leaving said tip of said emitter exposed; and a gate electrode layer formed on said insulating layer along said shape of said emitter and provided with an opening part enclosing said shape of said emitter, wherein said opening part is within a width of a base of said protruding emitter provided in the emitter layer.
- 2. A field emission cathode structure according to claim 1, wherein said structural substrate is a glass substrate.
- 3. A field emission cathode structure according to claim 1, wherein said emitter material layer and said emitter are made of an identical material and are identical in texture.
- 4. A field emission cathode structure according to claim 1, wherein the field emission cathode structure is used in a flat panel display.
- 5. A field emission cathode structure according to claim 1, wherein said insulating layer is a thermally oxidized insulating layer formed of SiO2.
- 6. A field emission cathode structure comprising:a supporting substrate; an emitter material layer made of an emitting material provided with at least a projection having a sharp pointed tip and having an increased slope angle to the tip for emission of electrons, and formed on said supporting substrate as jointed fast thereto; an insulator layer formed on a surface of said emitter material layer so as to expose the tip of said projection therethrough; and an impurity diffusion layer formed on a surface of said insulator layer and enabled to function as an etching stopper layer.
- 7. A field emission cathode structure according to claim 6, wherein said impurity diffusion layer is a gate electrode layer.
- 8. A field emission cathode structure according to claim 6, (which) wherein said field emission cathode structure further comprises a gate electrode layer formed on a surface of said impurity diffusion layer and along a contour of said projection of said emitter material layer and provide with an opening encircling said tip of said projection.
- 9. A field emission cathode according to claim 6, wherein said supporting substrate is a glass plate.
- 10. A field emission cathode according to claim 6, wherein said impurity diffusion layer is a silicon layer containing a p-type impurity.
- 11. A field emission cathode according to claim 10, wherein said p-type impurity is boron (B) and is diffused at a concentration of not less than 3×1019 cm−3.
- 12. A field emission cathode structure according to claim 6, wherein said impurity diffusion layer has an electric resistivity or not more than 10−3Ω·cm.
- 13. A field emission cathode according to claim 6, wherein said insulator layer is a thermally oxidized insulating layer formed of SiO2.
- 14. A field emission cathode structure according to claim 6, wherein said projection includes a pyramidal-type sloped projection.
- 15. A field emission cathode structure according to claim 6, wherein the field emission cathode structure is used in a flat panel display.
- 16. A field emission cathode structure according to claim 1, wherein said emitter material layer and said structural substrate are joined using electrostatic bonding.
Priority Claims (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
4-186753 |
Jul 1992 |
JP |
|
5-203167 |
Aug 1993 |
JP |
|
5-332043 |
Dec 1993 |
JP |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. Ser. No. 08/291,937 filed Aug. 16, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,938, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08/038,936 filed Mar. 29, 1993, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
56-160740 |
Dec 1981 |
JP |
4-133241 |
May 1992 |
JP |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
C.A. Spindt et al., “Physical properties of thin film field emission cathodes with molybdenum cones”, Juornal of Applied physics, vol. 47, No. 12, Dec. 1976.* |
Sokolich et al, Field emission from submicron emitter arrays, IDEM 90, pp. 159-162, Dec. 1990. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/038936 |
Mar 1993 |
US |
Child |
08/291937 |
|
US |