Silicon Field Emitters fabricated by Dicing-Saw and TMAH-Etch

Abstract

A novel silicon field emission source is presented, which is fabricated by saw dicing and TMAH-etching. Samples with different tip densities were investigated. Due to the fabrication process a higher tip density leads to a lower tip height. Very similar characteristics were observed for all different geometries. Emission currents of 10 $\mu\mathrm{A}$ are obtained at electrical fields of 6 - 8 $\mathrm{V}/\mu \mathrm{m}$. The changes in the characteristics after 10 h at a regulated current of 10 $\mu\mathrm{m}\mathrm{A}$ and a pressure of 10–5 mbar were investigated. The observed shift in necessary field reduces with the number of tips and is lower in p-type compared to n-type samples.