Method for producing an addressable field-emission cathode and an associated display structure

Abstract

The inventive method relates to microelectronic and consists in the application of an emission layer to elements of an addressable field-emission electrode with the aid of a gas-phase synthesis method in a hydrogen flow accompanied by a supply of a carbonaceous gas. A dielectric backing is made of a high-temperature resistant material and discrete elements of the addressable field-emission electrode are made of a high-temperature resistant metal. The growth rate of the emission layer on the dielectric backing is smaller than the growth rate of the emission layer on the metallic discrete elements as a result of a selected process of depositing the carbonaceous emission layer, namely the backing temperature, the temperature of the reactor threads, the pumping speed of a gas mixture through the reactor, a selected distance between the reactor threads and the backing and a settling time. The cathode metallic discrete elements can be made of two metallic layers. The upper metallic layer is removed before the formation of required configurations from the remaining layer. The layer materials are selected in such a way that the emission characteristics thereof can ensure a required current from the upper metallic layer. For producing a display structure, a control grid is obtained from the metal layer having an emission threshold higher than a field density at which the cathode emits the required current. The inventive method enables to avoid operations of removing the emission layer making it possible to produce flat displays having high characteristics in addition to high performance and low cost.