The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 09, 2021
Filed:
Sep. 11, 2019
Kla Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo, JP;
Yung-Ho Alex Chuang, Cupertino, CA (US);
Yinying Xiao-Li, San Jose, CA (US);
Edgardo Garcia Berrios, San Jose, CA (US);
John Fielden, Los Altos, CA (US);
Masayoshi Nagao, Ibaraki, JP;
KLA Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
National Institute Of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An electron gun for an electron microscope or similar device includes a field emitter cathode having a field emitter protrusion extending from the output surface of a monocrystalline silicon substrate, and electrodes configured to enhance the emission of electrons from a tip portion of the field emitter protrusion to generate a primary electron beam. A thin, contiguous SiC layer is disposed directly on at least the tip portion of the field emitter protrusion using a process that minimizes oxidation and defects in the SiC layer. Optional gate layers may be placed at, slightly lower than or slightly higher than the height of the field emitter tip portion to achieve high emission current and fast and accurate control of the primary emission beam. The field emitter can be p-type doped and configured to operate in a reverse bias mode, or the field emitter can be n-type doped.