• search hit 8 of 11
Back to Result List

Quantitative Field Emission Imaging for Studying the Doping-Dependent Emission Behavior of Silicon Field Emitter Arrays

  • Field emitter arrays (FEAs) are a promising component for novel vacuum micro- and nanoelectronic devices, such as microwave power amplifiers or fast-switching X-ray sources. However, the interrelated mechanisms responsible for FEA degradation and failure are not fully understood. Therefore, we present a measurement method for quantitative observation of individual emission sites during integral operation using a low-cost, commercially available CMOS imaging sensor. The emission and degradation behavior of three differently doped FEAs is investigated in current-regulated operation. The measurements reveal that the limited current of the p-doped emitters leads to an activation of up to 55% of the individual tips in the array, while the activation of the n-type FEA stopped at around 30%. This enhanced activation results in a more continuous and uniform current distribution for the p-type FEA. An analysis of the individual emitter characteristics before and after a constant current measurement provides novel perspectives on degradation behavior. A burn-in process that trims the emitting tips to an integral current-specific ideal field enhancement factor is observed. In this process, blunt tips are sharpened while sharp tips are dulled, resulting in homogenization within the FEA. The methodology is described in detail, making it easily adaptable for other groups to apply in the further development of promising FEAs.

Export metadata

Additional Services

Share in Twitter Search Google Scholar Statistics
Metadaten
Author:Andreas Schels, Florian Herdl, Matthias HausladenORCiD, Dominik Wohlfartsstätter, Simon Edler, Michael BachmannORCiD, Andreas Pahlke, Rupert SchreinerORCiDGND, Walter Hansch
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14112008
Parent Title (English):Micromachines
Publisher:MDPI
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Year of first Publication:2023
Release Date:2023/11/02
Volume:14
Issue:11
Article Number:2008
Institutes:Fakultät Angewandte Natur- und Kulturwissenschaften
Fakultät Angewandte Natur- und Kulturwissenschaften / Labor Mikrosensorik
Begutachtungsstatus:peer-reviewed
OpenAccess Publikationsweg:Gold Open Access- Erstveröffentlichung in einem/als Open-Access-Medium
research focus:Sensorik
Licence (German):Creative Commons - CC BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International