Patent EP0367195A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0367195A2
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EP
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Mim cold-cathode electron emission elements and methods of manufacture thereof
Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
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Filing: 1989-10-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-10-30
Abstract
Abstract An MIM type of electron emission element having a thin insulating film (2) formed below an electron emission region (4) of a metal layer (3), with that electron emission region of the metal layer consisting of an array of thick and thin portions (3a, 3b), distributed throughout the electron emission region. Improved efficiency and uniformity of of emission are obtained, due to the low resistance of the thick portions, which effectively apply a supply voltage to the thin portions of the metal layer, while the thin portions can be made sufficiently thin to maximize the electron emission level.
Inventors
- 👤 Akira Kaneko
- 👤 Toru Kanno
- 👤 Kaoru Tomii
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 02:08
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J9/00; H01J9/02; H01J9/022; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y10/00; H01J1/00; H01J1/02; H01J1/30; H01J1/312
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
72 words
An electron emission element comprising an electrically conducting layer, an electrically insulating layer formed on said conducting layer, and a metal layer formed on said insulating layer, wherein said metal layer is formed with an electron emission region comprising a plurality of relatively thick portions of said metal layer and a plurality of relatively thin portions of said metal layer, said thick and thin portions being distributed throughout said electron emission regions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
72 words
An electron emission element comprising an electrically conducting layer, an electrically insulating layer formed on said conducting layer, and a metal layer formed on said insulating layer, wherein said metal layer is formed with an electron emission region comprising a plurality of relatively thick portions of said metal layer and a plurality of relatively thin portions of said metal layer, said thick and thin portions being distributed throughout said electron emission regions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
An electron emission element according to claim 1, in which said thick portions of said metal layer are of substantially mutually identical thickness and said thin portions are of substantially mutually identical thickness.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
101 words
An electron emission element according to claim 1, in which said metal layer is formed in said electron emission region as a plurality of flat-topped portions and a plurality of sloping portions, each of said sloping portions being integrally formed with a corresponding one of said flat-topped portions and being of a thickness which gradually varies from a maximum value to zero, and in which respective ones of said thick portions of said metal layer are constituted by central portions of said flat-topped portions and in which said thin portions of said metal layer comprise central portions of said sloping portions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
An electron emission element according to claim 3, in which regions of a surface of said insulating layer respectively adjust to said sloping portions are left uncovered by said metal layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
An electron emission element according to claim 1, in which at least a part of said insulating layer corresponding in position to said electron emission region has a thickness which is selected such as to permit an electron tunnelling effect to occur in said part of the insulating layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
73 words
An electron emission element according to claim 1, in which at least a part of said metal layer within said electron emission region is of substantially smaller thickness than a part of said metal layer which is positioned outside said electron emission region, and in which an interface between said insulating layer and said metal layer extends in a single plane both within said electron emission region and outside said electron emission region.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
105 words
An electrically conducting body having an electrically insulating layer formed thereon, and a metal layer formed on said insulating layer, with respective values of thickness of at least portions of said insulating layer and metal layer being selected such as to permit electron emission from an electron emission region of said metal layer in response to application of a specific level of voltage between said conducting body and said metal layer, wherein at least a part of said insulating layer corresponding in position to said electron emission region comprises a single-crystal layer of an electrically insulating material having crystal planes thereof oriented in predetermined directions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
105 words
An electrically conducting body having an electrically insulating layer formed thereon, and a metal layer formed on said insulating layer, with respective values of thickness of at least portions of said insulating layer and metal layer being selected such as to permit electron emission from an electron emission region of said metal layer in response to application of a specific level of voltage between said conducting body and said metal layer, wherein at least a part of said insulating layer corresponding in position to said electron emission region comprises a single-crystal layer of an electrically insulating material having crystal planes thereof oriented in predetermined directions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
An electron emission element according to claim 7, in which said metal layer comprises an array of a plurality of relatively thick portions and relatively thin portions within said electron emission region.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
77 words
An electron emission element comprising an electrically conducting layer which includes an upwardly protruding portion, a first electrically insulating layer formed on said upwardly protruding portion, a second electrically insulating layer formed on a surface region of said conducting layer excluding said upwardly protruding portion, with an upper surface of said second insulating layer being co-planar with an upper surface of said first insulating layer, and a metal layer formed upon said first and second insulating layers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
77 words
An electron emission element comprising an electrically conducting layer which includes an upwardly protruding portion, a first electrically insulating layer formed on said upwardly protruding portion, a second electrically insulating layer formed on a surface region of said conducting layer excluding said upwardly protruding portion, with an upper surface of said second insulating layer being co-planar with an upper surface of said first insulating layer, and a metal layer formed upon said first and second insulating layers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
An electron emission element according to claim 9, in which the thickness of said first insulating layer is selected such as to permit an electron tunnelling effect to occur in said insulating layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
An electron emission element according to claim 9, in which said first insulating layer is formed as an oxide of said conducting layer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
80 words
An electron emission element comprising a substrate, an electrically conducting layer formed on a predetermined region of a surface of said substrate, a first electrically insulating layer formed on said conducting layer, a second insulating layer formed on a region of said substrate outside said first insulating layer, with an upper surface of said second insulating layer being co-planar with an upper surface of said first insulating layer, and a metal layer formed on said first and second insulating layers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
80 words
An electron emission element comprising a substrate, an electrically conducting layer formed on a predetermined region of a surface of said substrate, a first electrically insulating layer formed on said conducting layer, a second insulating layer formed on a region of said substrate outside said first insulating layer, with an upper surface of said second insulating layer being co-planar with an upper surface of said first insulating layer, and a metal layer formed on said first and second insulating layers.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
An electron emission element according to claim 12, in which the thickness of said first insulating layer is selected such as to permit an electron tunnelling effect to occur in said first insulating layer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
An electron emission element according to claim 12, in which said first insulating layer is formed as an oxide of said conducting layer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
70 words
An electron emission element comprising an electrically conducting body having a surface thereof formed with an upwardly protruding portion, an electrically insulating layer formed to cover said conducting body and having a flat upper surface, and a metal layer formed upon said insulating layer surface, said metal layer extending above said upwardly protruding portion of said conducting body and at least partially overlapping a boundary of said upwardly protruding portion.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
70 words
An electron emission element comprising an electrically conducting body having a surface thereof formed with an upwardly protruding portion, an electrically insulating layer formed to cover said conducting body and having a flat upper surface, and a metal layer formed upon said insulating layer surface, said metal layer extending above said upwardly protruding portion of said conducting body and at least partially overlapping a boundary of said upwardly protruding portion.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
52 words
An electron emission element according to claim 15, in which the thickness of a portion of said insulating layer which is sandwiched between said upwardly protruding portion of said conducting body and said metal layer is selected such as to permit an electron tunnelling effect to occur in said insulating layer portion.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
79 words
An electron emission element according to claim 15, in which said insulating layer comprises a first insulating layer which is formed upon a region of said conducting body other than said upwardly protruding portion, said first insulating layer having an upper surface which is co-planar with an upper surface of said upwardly protruding portion, and a second insulating layer which covers said first insulating layer and said upwardly protruding portion, said second insulating layer having a flat upper surface.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
59 words
An electron emission element according to claim 15, in which said insulating layer comprises a first layer of electrically insulating material which is formed on a region of said conducting body other than said upwardly protruding portion, and an electrically insulating oxide film formed by oxidation of a surface portion of said upwardly protruding portion of said conducting body.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
54 words
An electron emission element comprising an electrically conducting body formed on a portion of a surface of a substrate, an electrically insulating layer formed upon said conducting body and said surface, said insulating layer having a flat upper surface, and a metal layer formed on said insulating layer surface, extending above said conducting body.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
54 words
An electron emission element comprising an electrically conducting body formed on a portion of a surface of a substrate, an electrically insulating layer formed upon said conducting body and said surface, said insulating layer having a flat upper surface, and a metal layer formed on said insulating layer surface, extending above said conducting body.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
47 words
An electron emission element according to claim 19, in which the thickness of a portion of said insulating layer which is sandwiched between said conducting body and said metal layer is selected such as to permit an electron tunnelling effect to occur in said insulating layer portion.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
74 words
An electron emission element according to claim 19, in which said insulating layer comprises a first insulating layer formed on a region of said substrate outside conducting body, said first insulating layer having a flat upper surface which is co-planar with an upper surface of said conducting body, and a second insulating layer which is formed over said first insulating layer and said conducting body, said second insulating layer having a flat upper surface.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
49 words
An electron emission element according to claim 19, in which said insulating layer comprises a first electrically insulating layer which is formed upon a region of said substrate other than said conducting body, and an electrically insulating oxide film formed by oxidation of a surface portion of conducting body.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
79 words
A method of manufacture for an electron emission element, comprising successive steps of: forming a layer of an electrically conducting material on a surface of a glass substrate; forming a layer of an electrically insulating material on said conducting material; forming a metal layer upon said layer of insulating material; forming a patterned photoresist layer on said metal layer; and executing photo-lithography etching of said metal layer, employing said photoresist layer, to selectively remove portions of said metal layer.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
79 words
A method of manufacture for an electron emission element, comprising successive steps of: forming a layer of an electrically conducting material on a surface of a glass substrate; forming a layer of an electrically insulating material on said conducting material; forming a metal layer upon said layer of insulating material; forming a patterned photoresist layer on said metal layer; and executing photo-lithography etching of said metal layer, employing said photoresist layer, to selectively remove portions of said metal layer.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method of manufacture according to claim 23, in which said step of forming a layer of conducting material is executed by a process selected from a group of processes including a vacuum evaporative deposition process and a sputtering deposition process.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method of manufacture according to claim 23, in which said step of forming a layer of insulating material is executed by a process selected from a group of processes including a sputtering deposition process and an anodic oxidation process.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method of manufacture according to claim 23, in which said step of forming an metal layer is executed by a process selected from a group of processes including a vacuum evaporative deposition process and a sputtering deposition process.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
161 words
A method of manufacture for an electron emission element, comprising successive steps of: forming a layer of an electrically insulating material on a region of a conducting body corresponding to an electron emission region, the thickness of said layer of insulating material being selected such as to permit an electron tunnelling effect to occur in said layer of insulating material; and executing evaporative deposition of a metal onto a surface of said insulating layer through a mask, said mask having a predetermined pattern of apertures formed therein, and said mask being spaced apart from said layer of insulating material by a predetermined distance; for thereby forming a plurality of thick portions and a plurality of sloping portions of said metal layer within said electron emission region, each of said sloping portions being integrally formed with a corresponding one of said thick portions and being of gradually varying thickness, said thick portions and sloping portions being distributed throughout said electron emission region.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
161 words
A method of manufacture for an electron emission element, comprising successive steps of: forming a layer of an electrically insulating material on a region of a conducting body corresponding to an electron emission region, the thickness of said layer of insulating material being selected such as to permit an electron tunnelling effect to occur in said layer of insulating material; and executing evaporative deposition of a metal onto a surface of said insulating layer through a mask, said mask having a predetermined pattern of apertures formed therein, and said mask being spaced apart from said layer of insulating material by a predetermined distance; for thereby forming a plurality of thick portions and a plurality of sloping portions of said metal layer within said electron emission region, each of said sloping portions being integrally formed with a corresponding one of said thick portions and being of gradually varying thickness, said thick portions and sloping portions being distributed throughout said electron emission region.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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