The present invention provides a simpler method for sharpening a tip of an emitter. In addition, the present invention provides an emitter including a nanoneedle made of a single crystal material, an emitter including a nanowire made of a single crystal material such as hafnium carbide (HfC), both of which stably emit electrons with high efficiency, and an electron gun and an electronic device using any one of these emitters. A method for manufacturing the emitter according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises processing a single crystal material in a vacuum using a focused ion beam to form an end of the single crystal material, through which electrons are to be emitted, into a tapered shape, wherein the processing is performed in an environment in which a periphery of the single crystal material fixed to a support is opened.

A method for fabricating silicon die stacks for electron emitter chips by applying sintering to bind a silicon substrate die to other die layers. Metal powder is applied to the bonding surface of the die, covered with the chip carrier or chip and compressed between two heated plates. The bonding pads of the die may be conductively coupled to corresponding bonding pads of the other die layers.

In one embodiment of the present invention, an electronic device includes a first emitter/collector region and a second emitter/collector region disposed in a substrate. The first emitter/collector region has a first edge/tip, and the second emitter/collector region has a second edge/tip. A gap separates the first edge/tip from the second edge/tip. The first emitter/collector region, the second emitter/collector region, and the gap form a field emission device.

An emitter with a diameter of 100 nm or less is used with a protective cap layer and a diffusion barrier between the emitter and the protective cap layer. The protective cap layer is disposed on the exterior surface of the emitter. The protective cap layer includes molybdenum or iridium. The emitter can generate an electron beam. The emitter can be pulsed.

A method for manufacturing of a device (300, 410-412) comprising a substrate (201) comprising a plurality of sets of nanostructures (207) arranged on the substrate, wherein each of the sets of nanostructures is individually electrically addressable, the method comprising the steps of: providing (101) the substrate (200) having a first (202) face, the substrate having an insulating layer (210) comprising an insulating material arranged on the first face (202) of the substrate forming an interface (203) between the insulating layer and the substrate; providing (102) a plurality of stacks (204) on the substrate, the stacks being spaced apart from each other, wherein each stack comprises a first conductive layer (205) comprising a first conductive material and a second conductive layer (206) comprising a second conductive material different from the first material, the second conductive layer being arranged on the first conductive layer for catalyzing nanostructure growth; heating (103) the substrate having the plurality of stacks arranged thereon in a reducing atmosphere to enable formation of nanostructures on the second conductive material; heating (103) the substrate having the plurality of stacks (204) arranged thereon in an atmosphere such that nanostructures (207) are formed on the second layer (206); wherein the insulating material and the first conductive material are selected such that during the heating steps, the first conductive material interacts with the insulating material to form an electrically conductive portion (208) within the insulating layer (201) below each of the stacks (204), wherein the electrically conductive por tion comprises a mixture of the first conductive material and the insulating material and/or reaction adducts thereof.

The present invention relates to the field of field emission lighting, and specifically to a method for forming a field emission cathode. The method comprises arranging a growth substrate in a growth solution comprising a Zn-based growth agent, the growth solution having a pre-defined pH-value at room temperature; increasing the pH value of the growth solution to reach a nucleation phase; upon increasing the pH of the solution nucleation starts. The growth phase is then entered by decreasing the pH. The length of the nanorods is determined by the growth time. The process is terminated by increasing the pH to form sharp tips. The invention also relates to a structure for such a field emission cathode and to a lighting arrangement comprising the field emission cathode.

An emitter (3) and a target (7) are arranged so as to face each other in a vacuum chamber (1), and a guard electrode (5) is provided at an outer circumferential side of an electron generating portion (31) of the emitter (3). The emitter (3) is supported movably in both end directions of the vacuum chamber (1) by the emitter supporting unit (4) having a movable body (40). The emitter supporting unit (4) is operated by an operating unit (6) connected to the emitter supporting unit (4). By operating the emitter supporting unit (4) by the operating unit (6), a distance between the electron generating portion (31) of the emitter (3) and the target (7) is changed, and a position of the emitter (3) is fixed at an arbitrary distance, then field emission is performed with the position of the emitter (3) fixed.

A method is disclosed for producing an electron emitter (1) with a component surface (3) of which is coated with a coating (2) that contains nanorods (4, 7), in particular carbon nanotubes. According to said method, an elastomer film is applied and is then peeled off to obtain a surface from which carbon nanotubes (7) with an upright orientation project upward from an inorganic and electrically conductive adhesive layer (5). In another example, an overall coating region of the electron emitter (1) has an average number (n) of carbon nanotubes (7) with a predominantly upright orientation that project upward from the electrically conductive adhesive layer (5), the number of nanotubes (7) with a predominantly upright orientation per mm.sup.2 protruding from the adhesive layer deviating from the average value (n) by not more than 25% for each partial coating region of a size of at least 10.sup.8 mm.sup.2.

A photocathode structure, which can include an alkali halide, has a protective film on an exterior surface of the photocathode structure. The protective film includes ruthenium. This protective film can be, for example, ruthenium or an alloy of ruthenium and platinum. The protective film can have a thickness from 1 nm to 20 nm. The photocathode structure can be used in an electron beam tool like a scanning electron microscope.

A method for manufacturing of a device (300, 410-412) comprising a substrate (201) comprising a plurality of sets of nanostructures (207) arranged on the substrate, wherein each of the sets of nanostructures is individually electrically addressable, the method comprising the steps of: providing (101) the substrate (200) having a first (202) face, the substrate having an insulating layer (210) comprising an insulating material arranged on the first face (202) of the substrate forming an interface (203) between the insulating layer and the substrate; providing (102) a plurality of stacks (204) on the substrate, the stacks being spaced apart from each other, wherein each stack comprises a first conductive layer (205) comprising a first conductive material and a second conductive layer (206) comprising a second conductive material different from the first material, the second conductive layer being arranged on the first conductive layer for catalyzing nanostructure growth; heating (103) the substrate having the plurality of stacks arranged thereon in a reducing atmosphere to enable formation of nanostructures on the second conductive material; heating (103) the substrate having the plurality of stacks (204) arranged thereon in an atmosphere such that nanostructures (207) are formed on the second layer (206); wherein the insulating material and the first conductive material are selected such that during the heating steps, the first conductive material interacts with the insulating material to form an electrically conductive portion (208) within the insulating layer (201) below each of the stacks (204), wherein the electrically conductive portion comprises a mixture of the first conductive material and the insulating material and/or reaction adducts thereof.