Method of fabricating electronic device employing field emission devices with dis-similar electron emission characteristics

Claim 1

A method for forming an electronic device having a plurality of field emission devices including the steps of: providing a supporting substrate having a major surface; depositing an insulator layer on the major surface of the supporting substrate, the insulator layer having a plurality of apertures disposed therethrough wherein at least some of the plurality of apertures have a first aperture radius and wherein at least some other of the plurality of apertures have a second aperture radius not the same as the first aperture radius; depositing an electron emitter by a substantially normal material evaporation in at least some of the plurality of apertures and operably coupled to the major surface of the supporting substrate; and depositing an extraction electrode on the insulator layer and peripherally, symmetrically about at least a part of at least some of the apertures of the plurality of apertures, such that application of a voltage between the extraction electrode and the substrate via a voltage source induces dis-similar electron emission from electron emitters associated with apertures having dis-similar aperture radii.

Claim 2

A method for forming an electronic device having a plurality of field emission devices including the steps of: providing a supporting substrate having a major surface; depositing an insulator layer on the major surface of the supporting substrate, the insulator layer having a plurality of apertures disposed therethrough wherein at least some of the plurality of apertures have a first aperture radius and wherein at least some other of the plurality of apertures have a second aperture radius not the same as the first aperture radius; depositing an electron emitter by a substantially normal material evaporation in at least some of the plurality of apertures and operably coupled to the major surface of the supporting substrate; and depositing an extraction electrode on the insulator layer and peripherally, symmetrically about at least a part of at least some of the apertures of the plurality of apertures, such that application of a voltage between the extraction electrode and the substrate via a voltage source induces dis-similar electron emission from electron emitters associated with apertures having dis-similar aperture radii.

Claim 3

A method for forming an electronic device having a plurality of field emission devices including the steps of: providing a supporting substrate having a first major surface; depositing an insulator layer on the major surface of the supporting substrate; depositing an extraction electrode layer onto the insulator layer; selectively etching the extraction electrode layer and the insulator layer such that a plurality of apertures are formed therethrough wherein some apertures of the plurality of apertures have a first aperture radius and some other apertures of the plurality of apertures have a second aperture radius different than the first aperture radius; selectively depositing a lift-off layer onto the extraction electrode layer; depositing emitter material into at least some apertures of the plurality of apertures by means of a normal evaporation of emitter material such that substantially conical/wedge shaped electron emitters are formed and coupled to the major surface of the supporting substrate, and removing the lift-off layer.

Claim 4

A method for forming an electronic device having a plurality of field emission devices including the steps of: providing a supporting substrate having a first major surface; depositing an insulator layer on the major surface of the supporting substrate; depositing an extraction electrode layer onto the insulator layer; selectively etching the extraction electrode layer and the insulator layer such that a plurality of apertures are formed therethrough wherein some apertures of the plurality of apertures have a first aperture radius and some other apertures of the plurality of apertures have a second aperture radius different than the first aperture radius; selectively depositing a lift-off layer onto the extraction electrode layer; depositing emitter material into at least some apertures of the plurality of apertures by means of a normal evaporation of emitter material such that substantially conical/wedge shaped electron emitters are formed and coupled to the major surface of the supporting substrate, and removing the lift-off layer.

Claim 5

A method for forming an electronic device having a plurality of field emission devices including the steps of: providing a supporting substrate having a major surface; depositing a first insulator layer on the major surface of the supporting substrate; depositing an extraction electrode layer onto the insulator layer; depositing at least a second insulator layer on the extraction electrode layer; selectively etching the extraction electrode layer, the first insulator layer, and the second insulator layer such that a plurality of apertures are formed therethrough wherein some apertures of the plurality of apertures have a first aperture radius and some other apertures of the plurality of apertures have a second aperture radius different than the first aperture radius; and depositing emitter material into the plurality of apertures by means of a normal evaporation of emitter material such that substantially conical/wedge shaped electron emitters are formed and coupled to the major surface of the supporting substrate.

Claim 6

A method for forming an electronic device having a plurality of field emission devices including the steps of: providing a supporting substrate having a major surface; depositing a first insulator layer on the major surface of the supporting substrate; depositing an extraction electrode layer onto the insulator layer; depositing at least a second insulator layer on the extraction electrode layer; selectively etching the extraction electrode layer, the first insulator layer, and the second insulator layer such that a plurality of apertures are formed therethrough wherein some apertures of the plurality of apertures have a first aperture radius and some other apertures of the plurality of apertures have a second aperture radius different than the first aperture radius; and depositing emitter material into the plurality of apertures by means of a normal evaporation of emitter material such that substantially conical/wedge shaped electron emitters are formed and coupled to the major surface of the supporting substrate.

Claim 9

A method for forming an electronic device having a plurality of field emission devices including the steps of: providing a supporting substrate having a major surface; depositing an insulator layer on the major surface of the supporting substrate; depositing an extraction electrode layer onto the insulator layer; selectively etching the extraction electrode layer and the insulator layer such that a plurality of apertures are formed therethrough wherein at least some of the plurality of apertures have a first aperture radius and some other of the plurality of apertures have a second aperture radius different than the first aperture radius; selectively depositing a lift-off layer onto the extraction electrode layer; and depositing emitter material into the plurality of apertures by means of a plurality of normal evaporations of emitter material such that substantially conical/wedge shaped electron emitters are formed and coupled to the major surface of the supporting substrate.

Claim 10

A method for forming an electronic device having a plurality of field emission devices including the steps of: providing a supporting substrate having a major surface; depositing an insulator layer on the major surface of the supporting substrate; depositing an extraction electrode layer onto the insulator layer; selectively etching the extraction electrode layer and the insulator layer such that a plurality of apertures are formed therethrough wherein at least some of the plurality of apertures have a first aperture radius and some other of the plurality of apertures have a second aperture radius different than the first aperture radius; selectively depositing a lift-off layer onto the extraction electrode layer; and depositing emitter material into the plurality of apertures by means of a plurality of normal evaporations of emitter material such that substantially conical/wedge shaped electron emitters are formed and coupled to the major surface of the supporting substrate.