The volt-ampere characteristics of the leakage and emission current of sandwich cathodes

The study of the properties of a metal-dielectric-metal system in a strong electric field has so far led to heterogeneous results. Their agreement with theory is unsatisfactory or lacking entirely. The theoretical conceptions are based on the assumption of the field emission of electrons from the surface of metals to the conduction band of the dielectric and from there by passage through the second metal electrode to vacuum. A perfect dielectric is assumed here. This assumption is probably not fulfilled when realizing the cathodes, as can be estimated from a comparison of the technology of producing a dielectric, for example, with the preparation of intrinsic semi-conductors. The presence of defects in the dielectric layer may have a decisive influence on the properties of the cathodes. In this way we can obtain different results even when using the same materials for making the cathodes.The present paper deals with the influence of the thickness of the dielectric on the electrical properties of cathodes. Two different dielectrics were used, produced in different ways: a dielectric dependent on the metal electrode (oxidizing cathodes) and independent (evaporated cathodes).In conclusion, the author thanks L. Sodomka and K. Frainic for assistance in the experiments.     

The resonance current in sandwich cathodes with traps

The resonance tunnel current flowing through local states in the forbidden band of the dielectric layer of a thin-film metal-dielectric-metal structure is calculated on the basis of the quasiclassical approximation. The volt-ampere characteristic of the resonance current has an exponential form and its slope is twice smaller than in case of tunnel current (described by the Fowler-Nordheim equation). Therefore the resonance current will influence the total leakage current largely at low voltages.     

Intense electron emission from carbon fiber cathodes

We studied the emission properties of carbon fiber cathodes. These cathodes were made either of a single carbon fiber or of carbon fabric, or of an array of carbon fiber bundles. It was found that an intense emission of electrons occurs from a plasma which is formed on the carbon fiber surface as a result of a flashover process. In addition, the time delay in the appearance of the electron emission with respect to the start of the accelerating voltage pulse was found to depend strongly on the voltage growth rate. A simple model of the plasma formation is suggested. Received 12 March 2001     

Leakage and emission characteristics of condenser cathodes with thin layer of Al2O3

The paper gives the leakage and emission characteristics of sandwich cathodes of the type Al-Al₂O₃-Au prepared on polycrystalline Al and on a layer of Al deposited in vacuum with a layer of Al₂O₃ 100–500 Å thick. The samples with a monotonous leakage characteristic have an exponential emission characteristic and the samples with anomalous leakage characteristic showing a maximum have an emission characteristic beginning at anomally small voltages on the sample and in the energy spectrum they exhibit excess energy. The relationship between these two types and the method of preparing the layers is given. Measurements are described which bear witness to the slow processes taking place in the cathode and the paper gives hypotheses on the mechanism of emission from such cathodes.Thanks are due to I. Emmer who prepared a number of samples and performed several measurements (Figs. 3, 10) for paper [14] which the present author has used here.     

Laser-photofield emission from needle cathodes for low-emittance electron beams

Illumination of a ZrC needle with short laser pulses (16 ps, 266 nm) while high voltage pulses (-60 kV, 2 ns, 30 Hz) are applied, produces photo-field emitted electron bunches. The electric field is high and varies rapidly over the needle surface so that quantum efficiency (QE) near the apex can be much higher than for a flat photocathode due to the Schottky effect. Up to 150 pC (2.9 A peak current) have been extracted by photo-field emission from a ZrC needle. The effective emitting area has an estimated radius below 50 microm leading to a theoretical intrinsic emittance below 0.05 mm mrad.     

Electron field emission from broad-area electrodes

In this review, measurements are surveyed for both dc and microwave electric fields. These show significant emission at applied fields typically 100 times smaller than those expected theoretically or measured experimentally for ideal microtip cathodes. Recent work is reviewed which studies on a microscopic scale this emission and the localized sites which produce it. Rather than forming sharp field enhancing projections, these sites often appear flat and are frequently associated with grain boundaries or insulating inclusions. Following an examination of various techniques for changing the emission of a given cathode, several theoretical models are considered which may explain some aspects of the observed emission characteristics.     

Electron emission from laser-irradiated atomic clusters

The mechanism of fast-electron emission from laser-irradiated clusters is studied by model calculations. Rescattering of electrons at the charged cluster is shown to be an important process. In contrast to rescattering at atoms, the structure, that is the size and strength, of the scattering potential determines final kinetic energies of the electrons. This becomes evident in a strong cluster-size dependence of the electron spectra.     

不同电介质结构下介质阻挡放电特性研究

设计制作了单面有氧化铟锡(ITO)导电介质层的双玻璃介质层的介质阻挡放电装置,研究了其放电特性,并将其与双玻璃介质层和单玻璃介质层的介质阻挡放电进行了比较.从电荷输运的角度分析,上述三种装置分别实现了电荷的二维、零维和三维输运.采用两种不同的双玻璃介质层装置,获得了单个稳定的放电丝.与无ITO导电层的双玻璃结构得到的单个放电丝相比,单面有导电ITO介质的双玻璃结构中,单放电丝呈"T"字型,其光晕是前者光晕的2倍,其放电电流大于前者电流,其放电时间间隔长短交替现象更为明显,且存在强度大小交替的现象.分析表明,壁电荷输运及二次电子发射的不同导致了不同电介质结构放电特性的不同. 关键词： 介质阻挡放电 壁电荷 二次电子发射     

Carbon nanotube field emission cathodes fabricated with chemical displacement plating

A new approach for making field emission cathodes consisting of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is discussed. The authors used a chemical displacement technique to fabricate field emission cathodes by co-depositing CNTs/nickel composite onto the surface of a zinc-coated soda-lime glass. There are several advantages of this displacement method for preparing field emission cathodes such as the uniform distribution of CNTs in the composite cathodes, low cost of consumed CNTs, low cost of instrument and equipment, feasibility of large-area mass production, and stability of plating solution, which can be used for many times and still remain useful after a long-time storage. The results show that, after the CNT purification and dispersion processes, a CNT content of 1.0 g/L, a pH value of 7.0, and a temperature of 50 ± 3 °C are the optimal process conditions which give better CNT distribution in the CNTs/Ni composite emitter and better field emission performance. The CNTs/Ni composite deposited with a plating solution which has been used for tens of times has an emission effect similar to those deposited with a new solution.     

Field emission of electrons from cathodes made of carbon fibers with a nanostructured emitting surface

Field electron emission from cathodes made of a bunch of carbon fibers under the condition of technical vacuum is studied experimentally. A model to optimize the field emission properties of the cathode by optimizing its macrogeometry with regard to the emitting surface structure is suggested. The current-voltage characteristics of the cathode are taken in the working voltage range 1–3 kV and for anode-cathode spacings varying from 1 to 10 mm. The current density from the cathode may reach 10 A/cm² or more.     

Electron field emission from amorphous carbon with N-doped nanostructures pyrolyzed from polyaniline

Carbon-based materials have been of great interest due to their potential application in cold cathodes for field emission displays and other vacuum microelectronic devices. Pyrolyzed polyaniline (PPANI) with N-doped nanostructures was prepared by pyrolysis of polyaniline at high temperature of 900 °C. The morphologies and microstructures were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, AFM, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that there were sp²C-N and sp³C-N bonds between the nitrogen and the carbon atoms in the nanostructures of the PPANI obtained. The electron field emission investigations showed that the turn-on field and effective work function ?_e of PPANI were 1.7 V/μm and 0.010 eV which were lower than N-doped amorphous carbon films obtained by other methods.     

Electron beam emission from a diamond-amplifier cathode

The diamond amplifier (DA) is a new device for generating high-current, high-brightness electron beams. Our transmission-mode tests show that, with single-crystal, high-purity diamonds, the peak current density is greater than 400 mA/mm2, while its average density can be more than 100 mA/mm2. The gain of the primary electrons easily exceeds 200, and is independent of their density within the practical range of DA applications. We observed the electron emission. The maximum emission gain measured was 40, and the bunch charge was 50 pC/0.5 mm2. There was a 35% probability of the emission of an electron from the hydrogenated surface in our tests. We identified a mechanism of slow charging of the diamond due to thermal ionization of surface states that cancels the applied field within it. We also demonstrated that a hydrogenated diamond is extremely robust.     

Amplifying device created with isotropic dielectric layer

Using the concept of optical transformation, we report on an amplifying device, which can make an arbitrary object enlarged. Its potential application to small object identification and detection is foreseeable. The cylindrical anisotropic amplifying shell could be mimicked by radially symmetrical ＂sectors＂ alternating in composition between two profiles of isotropic dielectrics; the permittivity and permeability in each ＂sector＂ can be properly determined by the effective medium theory. Both the magnetic and nonmagnetic amplifying devices are validated by full-wave finite element simulations. Good amplifying performance is observed.