Claims
- 1. A method, comprising:
providing a substrate; depositing a catalyst, said catalyst coupled to said substrate; depositing a dielectric layer, said dielectric layer coupled to said substrate; depositing an extractor layer, said extractor layer coupled to said dielectric layer; forming an extractor aperture in said extractor layer; forming a dielectric well in said dielectric layer to uncover at least a portion of said catalyst; and then fabricating a carbon containing tip i) having a base located substantially at said bottom of said dielectric well and ii) extending substantially away from said substrate.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said carbon containing tip is selected from the group consisting of a carbon containing nanofiber, a carbon containing singlewall nanotube and a carbon containing multiwall nanotube.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein fabricating a carbon containing tip includes providing a carbon source gas and an etchant gas.
- 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said carbon source gas includes acetylene and said etchant gas includes ammonia.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said dielectric well is substantially coincident with said extractor aperture.
- 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing a buffer layer before depositing said dielectric layer, said buffer layer located between said substrate and said dielectric layer.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said buffer layer includes titanium.
- 8. An electron emitter made by the method of claim 1.
- 9. An integrated circuit comprising the electron emitter of claim 8.
- 10. An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate; an electrode structure coupled to said substrate, said electrode structure including
a dielectric layer coupled to said substrate, said dielectric layer including a dielectric well that is formed in said dielectric layer after said dielectric layer is deposited; and an extractor layer coupled to said dielectric layer, said extractor layer including an extractor aperture; and a carbon containing tip coupled to said substrate, said carbon containing tip having a base located substantially at a bottom of said dielectric well and extending substantially away from said substrate, said carbon containing tip being grown from the bottom of said dielectric well using a catalyst that is introduced at said bottom of said dielectric well after said dielectric well is formed.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said carbon containing tip is selected from the group consisting of a carbon containing nanofiber, a carbon containing singlewall nanotube and a carbon containing multiwall nanotube.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said dielectric well is substantially coincident with said extractor aperture.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the dielectric layer includes silica.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the dielectric well includes a concave sidewall.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said base of carbon containing tip is located substantially at a center of said bottom of said dielectric well.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a buffer layer located between said substrate and said carbon containing tip.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said buffer layer include titanium.
- 18. An electron emitter array comprising the device of claim 10.
- 19. An integrated circuit, comprising the electron emitter array of claim 18.
- 20. A circuit board, comprising the integrated circuit of claim 19.
- 21. An electron beam lithographic stepper, comprising the circuit board of claim 20.
- 22. A method, comprising:
providing a substrate on a heater plate in a vacuum chamber; providing a carbon source gas and an etchant gas; heating said substrate with said heater plate; and then fabricating a carbon containing tip on said substrate with said carbon source gas and said etchant gas using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition.
- 23. The method of claim 22, wherein said carbon containing tip is selected from the group consisting of a carbon containing nanofiber, a carbon containing singlewall nanotube and a carbon containing multiwall nanotube.
- 24. The method of claim 22, wherein carbon source gas includes acetylene and said etchant gas includes ammonia.
- 25. The method of claim 22, further comprising depositing a dielectric layer, said dielectric layer coupled to said substrate and depositing an extractor layer, said extractor layer coupled to said dielectric layer.
- 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising forming an extractor aperture in said extractor layer and forming a dielectric well in said dielectric layer.
- 27. The method of claim 26, wherein said extractor aperture is substantially coincident with said dielectric well.
- 28. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing a catalyst before fabricating said carbon containing tip, said catalyst coupled to said substrate.
- 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the catalyst includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron and cobalt.
- 30. The method of claim 28, 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.
- 31. The method of claim 28, further comprising heating said catalyst to form multiple catalyst droplets.
- 32. The method of claim 28, further comprising depositing a buffer layer directly on said substrate before depositing said catalyst on said buffer layer.
- 33. The method of claim 32, wherein said buffer layer include titanium.
- 34. The method of claim 22, wherein said heater plate includes an electrode and further comprising applying a voltage bias to said substrate.
- 35. The method of claim 22, 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.
- 36. An apparatus for performing the method of claim 22
- 37. A device made by the method of claim 22.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is related to, and claims a benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) and/or 35 U.S.C. 120 from copending U.S. Ser. No. 60/228,713, filed Aug. 29, 2000, now pending, the entire contents of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference for all purposes.
STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
[0002] This invention was made with United States Government support under contract to UT-Battelle, LLC. The Government has certain rights in this invention.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60228713 |
Aug 2000 |
US |