Abstract Applicants have discovered methods for making, treating and using diamonds which substantially enhance their capability for low voltage emission. Specifically, applicants have discovered that defect-rich diamonds--diamonds grown or treated to increase the concentration of defects--have enhanced properties of low voltage emission. Defect-rich diamonds are characterized in Raman spectroscopy by a diamond peak at 1332 cm -1 broadened by a full width at half maximum ΔK in the range 5-15 cm -1 (and preferably 7-11 cm -1 ). Such defect-rich diamonds can emit electron current densities of 0.1 mA/mm 2 or more at a low applied field of 25 V/μm or less. Particularly advantageous structures use such diamonds in an array of islands or particles each less than 10 μm in diameter at fields of 15 V/μm or less.
In a flat panel field emission display comprising a vacuum cell having a cathode including a back-plate, a transparent front plate, a plurality of field emitters on the back-plate, a phosphor-coated anode on the front plate, and a conductive gate disposed between said anode and said cathode, the improvement wherein: said field emitter cathode comprises diamond material characterized by a diamond peak at 1332 cm -1 in Raman spectroscopy broadened to a full width at half maximum in the range 5-15 cm -1 , said diamond material for emitting electrons in a current density of at least 0.1 mA/mm 2 at an applied field of 25 V/μm or less.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
109 words
In a flat panel field emission display comprising a vacuum cell having a cathode including a back-plate, a transparent front plate, a plurality of field emitters on the back-plate, a phosphor-coated anode on the front plate, and a conductive gate disposed between said anode and said cathode, the improvement wherein: said field emitter cathode comprises diamond material characterized by a diamond peak at 1332 cm -1 in Raman spectroscopy broadened to a full width at half maximum in the range 5-15 cm -1 , said diamond material for emitting electrons in a current density of at least 0.1 mA/mm 2 at an applied field of 25 V/μm or less.