Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.p.

Vu Thien Binh

Henryk Birecki

Huei Pei Kuo

Steven Louis Naberhuis

Si-Ty Lam

A field emission device, which among other things may be used within an ultra-high density storage system, is disclosed. The emitter device includes an emitter electrode, an extractor electrode, and a solid-state field controlled emitter that utilizes a Schottky metal-semiconductor junction or barrier. The Schottky metal-semiconductor barrier is formed on the emitter electrode and electrically couples with the extractor electrode such that when an electric potential is placed between the emitter electrode and the extractor electrode, a field emission of electrons is generated from an exposed surface of the semiconductor layer. Further, the Schottky metal may be selected from typical conducting layers such as platinum, gold, silver, or a conductive semiconductor layer that is able to provide a high electron pool at the barrier. The semiconductor layer placed on the Schottky metal is typically very weakly conductive of n-type and has a wide band gap in order to create conditions conducive to creating induced negative electron affinity at applied fields necessary to provide electron emission. One type of wide band-gap material can be selected from titanium dioxide or titanium nitride or other comparable materials.

Electron emitter device for data storage applications and method of manufacture

The field emission planar electron emitter device is disclosed that has an emitter electrode, an extractor electrode, and a planar emitter emission layer, electrically coupled to the emitter electrode and the extractor electrode. The planar electron emitter is configured to bias electron emission in a central region of the emission layer in preference to an outer region thereof. One structural example that provides this biasing is achieved by fabricating the planar emitter emission layer so that it has an outer perimeter that is thicker in depth than at an interior portion of the planar emitter emission layer, which reduces electron beam emission at the outer perimeter when an electric field is applied between the emitter electrode and the extractor electrode. The electric field draws emission electrons from the surface of the planar emitter emission layer towards the extractor electrode at a higher rate at the interior portion than at the outer perimeter. The planar electron emitter device further includes a focusing electrode electrically coupled to the planar electron emitter.

Storage apparatus having a planar electron emitter

Fabrication process for planer electron emitters

Planar electron emitter apparatus with improved emission area and method of manufacture

Electron emitter device for data storage applications

Growing community of inventors

Lyons, France

Vu Thien Binh