Paper
27 February 2012 Hardened planar nitride based cold cathode electron emitter
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Abstract
Low threshold electron emission from planar AlN/Silicon heterostructures is reported. The surface emitting ballistic electron structure consisted of an undoped AlN layer grown on Silicon by Molecular Beam Epitaxy, a Ti/Au Ohmic contact, and a thin Pt Schottky contact fabricated by e-beam deposition. Tunnel-transparent Pt Schottky contact was deposited on a 1 μm thick Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) layer and covered a 4 x 4 matrix of 50 μm diameter via produced in the SiO2 layer using photolithography The measurements were performed in vacuum (~10-8 Torr) using a metal grid separated from the structure by a 60 micron thick Kapton® polyimide film having an opening aligned with the via. Bias voltages in the range of 0-130 V were applied across the Schottky diode, while currents were recorded across the structure for grid voltages ranging from 0 to 50 V. The field emission nature of the measured currents was confirmed by plotting the Fowler-Nordheim dependence. Current density of at least 2.5x10-4A/cm2 was achieved for a grid voltage of 50 V and a bias of 130 V. Degradation of the structure performance was observed at bias voltages exceeding 90 V as a result of Schottky barrier modification under the elevated temperature and high electric field operation. The solid-state electron emitting structure indicated a threshold field as low as 0.2 V/μm under applied grid voltage of 12 V.
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R. Pillai, D. Starikov, C. Boney, and A. Bensaoula "Hardened planar nitride based cold cathode electron emitter", Proc. SPIE 8262, Gallium Nitride Materials and Devices VII, 82620O (27 February 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.909587
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KEYWORDS
Diodes

Aluminum nitride

Silicon

Platinum

Metals

Silica

Silicon carbide

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