TY - JOUR A1 - Bachmann, Michael A1 - Düsberg, Felix A1 - Pahlke, Andreas A1 - Edler, Simon A1 - Schels, Andreas A1 - Herdl, Florian A1 - Ławrowski, Robert Damian A1 - Schreiner, Rupert T1 - High current silicon nanowire field emitter arrays JF - Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B N2 - Arrays of n-doped silicon nanowire field emitters with a high aspect ratio are realized by a novel dry etching technique. Compared to the high current silicon emitters in the literature, the manufacturing process is much simpler and requires only a single photolithography step and two dry etching steps. The cathodes realized with this method exhibit a total current of 20 mA from an active area of 4×4 mm2, which is significantly higher than that for most known structures made from silicon and also represents good performance in comparison with other emitter types, e.g., carbon nanotubes. In addition to characterization in ultrahigh vacuum, measurements at 10−5 mbar are performed and compared with our recent silicon emitters. Compared to these cathodes, the structures with the nanowires exhibit at least two orders of magnitude higher current-carrying capability. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0001639 VL - 40 IS - 1 PB - AIP Publishing ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ławrowski, Robert Damian A1 - Bachmann, Michael A1 - Schreiner, Rupert T1 - Field emission arrays from graphite fabricated by laser micromachining JF - Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B N2 - Laser micro structuring allows the manufacturing of conical shaped emitters on a graphitized carbon substrate without any additional treatment. Integral field emission measurements were performed in a diode configuration with a 50 µm mica spacer and a metalized Si-grid in a vacuum chamber at pressures of about 10-9 mbar. Emission currents up to 10 µA at a voltage of 1000 V (11 MV/m) with a positive current drift were observed for an array of 16 emitters. A strong modification of the emitter tip is noticeable after individual measurements. A comparable alteration of the surface is also achieved by an electrochemical treatment of the samples with a potassium hydroxide solution. However, the IV-measurements of such samples show higher onset voltages, but also higher integral emission currents. For all arrays an ideal FN behaviour is only noticeable at applied voltages below 625 V (7 MV/m). Numerical calculations indicate that the deviation in the FN-plot for higher voltage values is caused by the change of the effective work function. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0001547 VL - 40 IS - 2 PB - AIP Publishing ER -