TY - JOUR A1 - Langer, Christoph A1 - Bomke, Vitali A1 - Hausladen, Matthias A1 - Ławrowski, Robert Damian A1 - Prommesberger, Christian A1 - Bachmann, Michael A1 - Schreiner, Rupert T1 - Silicon Chip Field Emission Electron Source Fabricated by Laser Micromachining JF - Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B N2 - The components for a silicon chip electron source were fabricated by laser micromachining using pulsed laser ablation and wet chemical cleaning and etching dips. The field emission electron source consists of a silicon field emission cathode with 4 × 4 conical shaped emitters with a height of 250 μm and a tip radius of about 50 nm, a 50 μm thick laser-structured mica spacer, and a silicon grid electrode with a grid periodicity of 200 μm and a bar width of 50 μm. These three components are combined to a single chip with the size of 14 × 10 mm2 and the thickness of 1 mm to form the electron source. Several of these devices were characterized in ultrahigh vacuum. Onset voltages of about 165 V and cathode currents of about 15 μA for voltages lower than 350 V were observed. Operating the electron source with an anode voltage of 500 V and an extraction grid voltage of 300 V yielded a cathode current of 4.5 μA ± 8.9%, an anode current of 4.0 μA ± 9.6%, and a corresponding grid transmittance of 89%. Regulating the anode current by the extraction grid voltage, an extremely stable anode current of 5.0 μA ± 0.017% was observed. A long-term measurement over 120 h was performed, and no significant degradation or failure was observed. KW - Ultra-high vacuum KW - Field emitter arrays KW - Etching KW - Electrical properties and parameters KW - Electron sources KW - Laser ablation KW - Laser micromachining KW - Silicon chip KW - Triodes Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1116/1.5134872 VL - 38 IS - 1 PB - AIP Publishing ER -