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A new surface electron-emission mechanism in diamond cathodes

Nature volume 393, pages 431–435 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

An electron-emission mechanism for cold cathodes is described based on the enhancement of electric fields at metal–diamond–vacuum triple junctions. Unlike conventional mechanisms, in which electrons tunnel from a metal or semiconductor directly into vacuum, the electrons here tunnel from a metal into diamond surface states, where they are accelerated to energies sufficient to be ejected into vacuum. Diamond cathodes designed to optimize this mechanism exhibit some of the lowest operational voltages achieved so far.

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Figure 1: Diagrams and plots of potential electron energy versus distance for three electric field emission mechanisms.
Figure 2: Plot of emitted and electrode currents as a function of voltage across the diamond for the structure shown in the inset.
Figure 3: Emission current with and without ∼10 mW cm−2 of incandescent illumination from a fibre lamp.
Figure 4: Potential energy curves as a function of distance from the liquid 4 He and the diamond surfaces.
Figure 5: Emission and gate currents as a function of gate voltage for a surface emission device with a step height of 1.5 µm (inset).

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Acknowledgements

We thank K. Walters for suggesting the possibility of surface states on NEA semiconductors, R. Parker for suggesting the triple-junction mechanism for electron injection, H. Gray and J. Cuomo for discussion, and D. Lennon for technical assistance. This work was supported by the Ballistic Missile Defence Office through the Office of Naval Research and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Air Force.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lexington, 02173-9108, Massachusetts, USA

    M. W. Geis, N. N. Efremow, K. E. Krohn, J. C. Twichell & T. M. Lyszczarz

  2. Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa, Israel

    R. Kalish

  3. PVD Products, Bedford, 02173, Massachusetts, USA

    J. A. Greer & M. D. Tabat

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  1. M. W. Geis
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Correspondence to M. W. Geis.

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Geis, M., Efremow, N., Krohn, K. et al. A new surface electron-emission mechanism in diamond cathodes. Nature 393, 431–435 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/30900

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