TY - JOUR A1 - Bachmann, Michael A1 - Dams, Florian A1 - Düsberg, Felix A1 - Hofmann, Martin A1 - Pahlke, Andreas A1 - Langer, Christoph A1 - Ławrowski, Robert Damian A1 - Prommesberger, Christian A1 - Schreiner, Rupert A1 - Serbun, Pavel A1 - Lützenkirchen-Hecht, Dirk A1 - Müller, Günter T1 - Extraction of the characteristics of current-limiting elements from field emission measurement data JF - Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B N2 - In this contribution, the authors will present an algorithm to extract the characteristics of nonideal field emission circuit elements from saturation-limited field emission measurement data. The method for calculating the voltage drop on current-limiting circuit elements is based on circuit theory as well as Newton's method. Since the only assumption the authors make on the current-limiting circuit is a connection in series, this method is applicable to most field emission data showing saturation. To be able to determine the significance of any parameter output, the uncertainties of data and extracted parameters as well as the parameter correlations are fully taken into account throughout the algorithm. N-type silicon samples with varying external serial resistors are analyzed. All results show a good agreement to the nominal resistor values. Additionally, several p-type samples are analyzed, showing a diodelike behavior. The extracted current-limiting characteristics of the p-type samples are in good agreement with a pn-junction model. The stability of the emission current of the p-type samples is measured by constant voltage measurements and compared to the extracted current-limiting characteristics. The application of the algorithm to measurement data shows that the given algorithm is a valuable tool to analyze field emission measurement data influenced by nonemissive processes. Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4971768 VL - 35 IS - 2 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Langer, Christoph A1 - Ławrowski, Robert Damian A1 - Prommesberger, Christian A1 - Dams, Florian A1 - Serbun, Pavel A1 - Bachmann, Michael A1 - Müller, Günter A1 - Schreiner, Rupert T1 - High aspect ratio silicon tip cathodes for application in field emission electron sources T2 - 2014 27th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC), 6-10 July 2014, Engelberg, Switzerland N2 - Precisely aligned arrays of sharp tip structures on top of elongated pillars were realized by using an improved fabrication process including an additional inductively-coupled-plasma reactive-ion etching step. Arrays of n-type and p-type silicon with 271 tips have been fabricated and investigated. Those structures have a total height of 5–6 µm and apex radii less than 20nm. Integral field emission measurements of the arrays yielded low onset-fields in the range of 8–12V=µm and field enhancement factors between 300 and 700. The I-E curves of n-type structures showed the usual Fowler-Nordheim behaviour, whereas p-type structures revealed a significant saturation region due to the limited number of electrons in the conduction band and a further carrier depletion effect caused by the pillar. The maximum integral current in the saturation region was 150 nA at fields above 30V=µm. An excellent stability of the emission current of less than ± 2% fluctuation was observed in the saturation region. For n-type Si a maximum integral current of 10 µA at 24V=µm and an average current stability with a fluctuation of ± 50% were measured. KW - Current measurement KW - Etching KW - FABRICATION KW - field emission KW - field emitter array KW - GEOMETRY KW - Iron KW - Sensor arrays KW - silicon KW - silicon tip Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1109/IVNC.2014.6894824 SP - 222 EP - 223 PB - IEEE ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Schreiner, Rupert A1 - Langer, Christoph A1 - Prommesberger, Christian A1 - Ławrowski, Robert Damian A1 - Dams, Florian A1 - Bachmann, Michael A1 - Düsberg, F. A1 - Hofmann, M. A1 - Pahlke, A. A1 - Serbun, Pavel A1 - Mingels, S. A1 - Müller, Günter T1 - Semiconductor field emission electron sources using a modular system concept for application in sensors and x-ray-sources T2 - 2015 28th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC), 13-17 July 2015, Guangzhou, China N2 - Semiconductor field emitters are suitable candidates for applications, which require a very stable field emission (FE) current and a high emission uniformity over the entire emission area. By using different materials and geometries, we are able to vary the FE characteristics within a wide range. Each specific application requires its own optimized design for the cathode as well as for the other parts of the FE electron source. To meet as many of these requirements as possible while using only a limited number of different prefabricated components, we established a modular system concept for our FE electron source. This allows the implementation of almost every cathode material. For first characterizations, we used gated p-type Si cathodes with 16 tips. We obtained stable FE currents of 0.4 μA for a grid-potential of 400 V and a gate potential of 100 V. Almost 100% of the electrons are emitted towards the grid-electrode. Parasitic leakage paths, as well as the electron emission towards the gate-electrode can be neglected. Approximately 10% of the electrons are transmitted through the grid and reach the external anode. This is in good agreement with the optical transmission through the grid-mesh. KW - Anodes KW - CATHODES KW - electron sources KW - GEOMETRY KW - Iron KW - Logic gates KW - semiconductor field emission KW - silicon Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1109/IVNC.2015.7225572 SP - 178 EP - 179 PB - IEEE ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Langer, Christoph A1 - Prommesberger, Christian A1 - Ławrowski, Robert Damian A1 - Schreiner, Rupert A1 - Serbun, Pavel A1 - Müller, Günter A1 - Düsberg, Felix A1 - Hofmann, Martin A1 - Bachmann, Michael A1 - Pahlke, Andreas T1 - Field emission properties of p-type black silicon on pillar structures JF - Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B N2 - Arrays of black silicon field emission pillar structures were fabricated on p-type silicon substrates. Two types of samples with the same number of pillars (arrays of 10 × 10) but different pillar heights (8 and 20 μm) were prepared as well as a black silicon reference sample without pillars. The field emission properties of these cathodes were investigated both by means of integral current-voltage measurements and by field emission scanning microscopy. Samples with a pillar height of 20 μm revealed onset fields as low as 6.4 V/μm, field enhancement factors up to 800, and emission currents up to 8 μA at an applied field of 20 V/μm. Due to the p-type material, a saturation of the emission current for fields above 11 V/μm was observed. This saturation leads to a stable operation with a current fluctuation of less than ±8%. It was found that samples with a pillar height of 20 μm showed improved emission characteristics compared to samples with a pillar height of 8 μm or without pillars. The voltage maps revealed an increased emission homogeneity after a “burn-in” sequence of the sample. The current map showed that a few of the pillars dominate the emission. Integral current stability measurements were performed under different vacuum pressures, in order to investigate altered emission behavior and a potential degradation of the emitters. At pressures above 10−6 mbar, the sample starts to degrade irreversibly. Nevertheless, even after a harsh treatment over 30 min at 5 × 10−5 mbar and at an applied field of 23 V/μm, the cathode was still operating, and did not fail during further operation over 20 h at 5 × 10−8 mbar and at an applied field of 28 V/μm. Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4943919 VL - 34 IS - 2 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Serbun, Pavel A1 - Porshyn, V. A1 - Müller, Günter A1 - Mingels, S. A1 - Lützenkirchen-Hecht, Dirk A1 - Bachmann, Michael A1 - Düsberg, Felix A1 - Dams, Florian A1 - Hofmann, Martin A1 - Pahlke, Andreas A1 - Prommesberger, Christian A1 - Langer, Christoph A1 - Ławrowski, Robert Damian A1 - Schreiner, Rupert T1 - Field emission behavior of Au-tip-coated p-type Si pillar structures T2 - 29th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC), 2016, 11-15 July, Vancouver, BC, Canada N2 - Precisely aligned high-aspect-ratio (HAR) silicon tip arrays were fabricated using enhanced reactive ion etching with an inductively-coupled-plasma followed by a sharpening oxidation. A gold thin film was then sputtered only on the tips of the HAR structures. Field-emission (FE) properties from Au-coated HAR p-Si tip array cathodes have been systematically investigated by means of field emission scanning microscopy (FESM). A rather high efficiency of the HAR Si structures (71% at 550 V), but limited homogeneous FE with currents of 1-600 nA might be correlated with the varying geometry of the tips and the presence of oxides. I-V measurements of single Au-coated HAR emitters revealed activation effects and the saturation current region at 3 nA. An increase of the saturation current by 4 orders of magnitude was observed during 20 hours of conditioning at constant voltage, which finally resulted in nearly reproducible FN curves with a ß-factor of 473. An excellent stability of the emission current of less than 1 % was obtained during the additional long-time conditioning at constant voltage. Optical switching under halogen lamp illumination resulted in at least 2 times higher saturation currents and showed a linear dependence of the FE current on the light color temperature. KW - field emission KW - p-type Si-pillar array KW - surface oxide effects KW - photoemission Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1109/IVNC.2016.7551516 SN - 2380-6311 SP - 181 EP - 182 PB - IEEE ER -