Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J1/00—Details of electrodes, of magnetic control means, of screens, or of the mounting or spacing thereof, common to two or more basic types of discharge tubes or lamps
  • H01J1/02—Main electrodes
  • H01J1/30—Cold cathodes, e.g. field-emissive cathode
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B82—NANOTECHNOLOGY
  • B82Y—SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
  • B82Y10/00—Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J1/00—Details of electrodes, of magnetic control means, of screens, or of the mounting or spacing thereof, common to two or more basic types of discharge tubes or lamps
  • H01J1/02—Main electrodes
  • H01J1/30—Cold cathodes, e.g. field-emissive cathode
  • H01J1/312—Cold cathodes, e.g. field-emissive cathode having an electric field perpendicular to the surface, e.g. tunnel-effect cathodes of metal-insulator-metal [MIM] type
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J35/00—X-ray tubes
  • H01J35/02—Details
  • H01J35/04—Electrodes ; Mutual position thereof; Constructional adaptations therefor
  • H01J35/06—Cathodes
  • H01J35/065—Field emission, photo emission or secondary emission cathodes
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J2235/00—X-ray tubes
  • H01J2235/06—Cathode assembly
  • H01J2235/062—Cold cathodes

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a new way to use semiconductor or insulator substrates for creating and conducting quasi-ballistic electrons when exposed to small electric fields. This will make it possible to accelerate electrons within the said semiconductor or insulator body without suffering any appreciable inelastic energy losses.
• the primary embodiments will be planar electron emitters such as in flat panel displays and Planar Electron Beam Lithography.
• a number of apparatuses, using the said (disclosed) planar electron emitter in various fields of application, are also disclosed and the priority rights for the said apparatuses are also claimed.
• the present invention concerns quasi-ballistic transport of electrons in high resistivity semiconductors or insulators, when exposed to small (around 100 V/cm) electric fields.
• Quasi-ballistic transport means that electron scattering is reduced to a minimum so that the electron mean free path becomes macroscopic. This effect has so far only been detected in semiconductors when very large electric field strengths are applied over very short distances and/or the semiconductor is cooled down to very low temperatures.
• a semiconductor or insulator material with the above properties will hereafter be mentioned Quasi-Ballistic Semiconductor or QB-Sem.
• the quasi-ballistic transport can be utilised in a number of ways. In this application these will be separated into two major fields:
• Electron transmitting semiconductors where it is the transport properties of the quasi- ballistic electrons inside the material which are the characteristic property
• Electron sources where it is the property of quasi-ballistic electrons to be emitted from the substrate which are the characteristic property. None of the relevant prior art mentions ballistic electrons in highly resistive semiconductors or insulators, neither when exposed to large electrical fields. This fact is due to the general opinion of quasi-ballistic transport in semiconductors. The possibility of quasi-ballistic transport in high resistive materials is counter intuitive and have therefore never been sought for so far.
• the quasi-ballistic transport of electrons in high resistivity semiconductors or insulators, when exposed to small (around 100 V/cm) electric fields, is a property, which can be used in more or less any semiconductor component or device.
• Class A Rectification and charge (information) storage.
• Semiconductor components/devices in this class include Schottky barrier diodes (US5 627479 and EP672 257 B1), bipolar p - n, p - i - n diodes, thyristors as well as a number of unipolar devices such as MIS (Metal - Insulator - Semiconductor) diodes, CCD (Charge - Coupled Devices), MIS tunnel diodes, MIS switch diodes, IMPATT
• Class B Photo-Sensing and Photo-Emitting devices
• This class of semiconducting components/devices include among others LEDs' (Light Emitting Diodes), Photodiodes, Semiconducting Lasers, Avalanche diodes and other photoconducting devices for light to electrical signal conversion purposes.
• Applications of the present invention in this class of semiconductor components/devices include bipolar transistors and bipolar unijunction transistors, together with a number of unipolar components and devices inclusive FETs (Field Effect Transistor), JFETs (Junction Field Effect Transistor), MESFETs (Metal - Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), MOSFETs (Metal - Oxide - Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) and Non-Volatile Memory devices. Particularly relevant in relation to present invention within this class are tunnel transistors, TEDs (Transferred - Electron Devices) and other ballistic (Hot Electron) transistors and/or devices.
• Class D Optical image detection, formation and processing Semiconductor camera, Conversion of electrical signals to 2D-optical images/signals, 2D-optical image/signal brightness/contrast amplification and spatial magnification.
• the present invention relates to a general class of electron devices termed “electron sources” and more specifically to a subclass termed “planar electron sources”. All of these devices provide a beam of electrons that can move through the empty space and be used for various technological applications.
• the essential requirement for all electron sources is to provide sufficient amount of electrons at the emitting surface of the device (the surface of the device facing the vacuum) with sufficient amount of energy (3-5 eV in most cases) and a velocity in the direction of emitting surface in order that these electrons can surmount the energy barrier at the emitting surface - vacuum interface and escape from the material into vacuum.
• the energy barrier is roughly given by the energy difference between the vacuum level and the electron chemical potential at the emitting surface.
• the necessary amount of energy can be supplied by any of the following means:
• the emitting cathode - anode structures are usually of all solid state construction and are formed from a combination of metallic, semiconducting and insulating materials in order to establish the necessary conditions for the electron field emission to take place at the anode surface-empty space interface.
• the intentions of these devises are to improve electron emission efficiency, all using the same basic cathode with several substances disposed thereon. Electrons are emitted from the semiconductor surface into free space though an aperture of the anode. The principle is to narrow the semiconductor- free space barrier and to give the electrons the momentum to escape and/or tunnel through the electric potential barrier of an anode. Any of the above mentioned means can be applied in order to increase the electron emission current l em -
• the applied electrical field E is to small (within ohmic range, mobile charge carriers' concentrations and electrical mobility are constant and independent of the electric field E) and the thickness of the semiconducting or insulating material L sam (Figure 2) is larger than the mean free path of the mobile charge carriers (at best of the order of some one to two thousand Angstroms), then the electrical current component l a ⁇ is negligibly small, leading to essentially zero value of the electron emission current m ( Figure 2).
• US 5,536,193 Relates to a method of fabricating a field emitter using the steps of; dispersing small pieces of wide band gap material on a substrate, cover it with a metal, etching the metal away until the wide band gap material comes forth, making small peaks for emitting electrons.
• US 5,463,275 Describes only electron emitting devises comprising a layered structure of at least three specially chosen semiconductor materials
• EP 504 603 B1 Consists of disposing a complex structure of semiconductors with special impurity levels such as to influence the different depletion regions.
• the description discloses the use of a Schottky barrier metal-semiconductor junction in order to improve emission efficiency.
• the features characterising class one are combined with feature concerning the formation/concentration and shaping of the necessary electrical field.
• the emitting cathode in this case is usually prepared in order to facilitate electron field emission from a single point. This is obtained either through covering the material with a low electron work function at small local areas and/or shaping the material geometrically to create an emissive point or peak.
• US 5,229,682 Concerns a field electron emission device, in which electrons enter free space directly from a part of the emitting electrode pointing through an aperture in the opposite electrode and interjacent layer. The electrons are not traversing any interjacent semiconductor or insulator layer.
• the emitting electrode is shaped in order to have a part that peaks through the aperture in the opposite electrode and interjacent layer.
• a flat panel display is made by an array of such electrodes.
• US 5,712,490 Concerns a photocathode device, comprising several semiconductor layers disposed on a window layer, the semiconductor layers chosen; to optimise the ability to absorb photons, that is photoconductivity, to increase the diffusion length of those electrons.
• the invention does not disclose an optically transparent electrode to be disposed between the window layer and the first semiconductor layer (see 3 rd column, line 11)
• US 5,528,103 As US 5,229,682, but also comprising focusing ridges, for the purpose of generating an electrical field causing the electrons emitted from the gate electrodes in between them, to converge into a narrow band, not for absorbing electrons.
• these electrodes/ridges have to be conductive (though otherwise stated in col. 7, line 27) in order to serve their purpose.
• US 4,823,004 Relates to a device for analysing the ballistic trajectories of electrons through a material, as well as gaining information about the material bulk structure by analysing the ballistic trajectories.
• Exceptions from above classes include devices in which electrons are emitted into the empty space between a cathode and the anode by applying sufficient electrical voltage between them.
• the emitting cathode in this case is usually either covered by a material with a low electron work function and/or it is geometrically shaped in order to facilitate electron field emission.
• An example of such a device is:
• US 5,703,435 Concerns a field emission cathode in which the material of the electron- emitting layer comprises either a mixture of graphite and diamond crystallites or amorphic diamond.
• the emitted electrons might not have the sufficient energy to serve their purpose and have to be further accelerated. This will typically be carried out by having an "accelerating electrode” at some distance from the emitting surface at a high positive electrical potential thereby accelerating the emitted electrons to higher energies in the interjacent empty space.
• the appropriate "luminophor” materials can be incorporated within the anode structure, the said anode structure being either an integral part of the cathode - anode structure or part of the "accelerating electrode” separated from the cathode-anode structure by a finite empty space.
• the applications of electron source devices typically include all forms of electron microscopy, Planar electron beams lithography, electron guns for evaporation of materials, x-ray tubes, electron multipliers (photomultipliers, two-dimensional particle/EM radiation detector arrays), electron beam welding machines, Flat Panel Displays (based on electron field emission), and some fast ballistic semiconductor components and devices.
• Lithography prior art Lithography prior art
• Lithographic steps are essential during the process of Integrated Circuit (IC) production.
• the lithographic part of IC production consists in principle in repetition of the steps of resist deposition onto the surface of a wafer, of the exposing parts of the resist with radiation (photons, electrons or ions) by a "writing tool", and finally of resist removal.
• Optical, x-ray and Electron/Ion Beam Lithographs are the known methods that can, at least in principle, accomplish the necessary lithographic tasks during the IC production.
• the optical lithography is the standard, well-matured industrial technology; its major drawback is the optical diffraction limit on the smallest features that can be printed. In the further strife for decreasing the size of the IC components and ICs in general, this has to be considered as a major drawback. By using electrons as radiation source, the optical diffraction limit is not present.
• the schematic diagram of the principle behind the Planar Electron Beam Lithography, used in the prior art, is shown in Figure 8. It uses a basic structure consisting of cathode 1 , a thin dielectric film 24, an electron absorbing template 19 and the anode 4.
• H. Ahmed et al incl. some of the inventors of the present invention "Proceedings of the Conference on Microlithography”; Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge 1989, it is shown and demonstrated experimentally how to carry out Planar Electron Beam Lithography in practice.
• the electron lithographic projection system has been demonstrated using a prior art planar electron emitter.
• Planar electron emitters suitable for this purpose can expose entire wafers with one broad beam, but, at the necessary voltages, these planar electron emitters have extremely short lifetimes due to the effects caused by the necessary large fields and short distances.
• the present invention offers a solution to this problem.
• planar electron emitters emitting a broad beam suitable for the exposure of wafers in the fabrication of ICs, that they have an extremely short lifetime (less than 30 minutes), which makes them unsuitable for Planar Electron Beam Lithography.
• the present invention aims at solving the above mentioned disadvantages by using the existence, under proper operating conditions and in certain simple semiconductor and insulator structures, of quasi-ballistic electrons.
• the electrons (quasi-ballistic electrons) move along these trajectories from one side of the substrate (surface S2, Figure 3) to the other side (surface S4), and are accelerated to energies sufficient to escape into vacuum through the electron emitting surface S4. (From now on said substrate is also referred to as Quasi-ballistic semiconductor substrate - "QB-Sem substrate").
• planar quasi-ballistic electron emitter The number of technological applications of the planar quasi-ballistic electron emitter is very large and it is the intention of the authors of the present invention to claim also the use of the present invention in these. These applications include methods and apparatuses/products such as Planar electron beam lithography, Field emission Flat Panel Displays, High speed (low-dissipation) signal transmission devices, High efficiency detectors, efficient Light sources, Electron emission microscopy, Two-dimensional electromagnetic radiation and/or particle detector arrays, High speed, easily integrable semiconductor components, Semiconducting devices using ballistic electrons, variety of (novel) electron sources and many others.
• the first surface is adapted to hold a first electrical charge
• the second surface is adapted to hold a second electrical charge, the first surface being substantially parallel to the second surface
• the element comprises a material or a material system being prepared so as to reduce electron scattering within the material or material system, and having a predetermined crystal orientation perpendicular to the first or second surface,
• the present invention relates to an article comprising
• the first surface area is adapted to hold a first electrical charge
• the second surface area is adapted to hold a second electrical charge
• the element comprises a material or a material system being prepared so as to reduce electron scattering within the material or material system, and having a predetermined crystal orientation perpendicular to the first or second surface,
• the material or material system according to the first and second aspects may comprise a semiconductor, such as silicon, germanium, silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, indium antimonide, indium arsenide, aluminium arsenide, zinc telluride or silicon nitride or any combination thereof.
• a semiconductor such as silicon, germanium, silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, indium antimonide, indium arsenide, aluminium arsenide, zinc telluride or silicon nitride or any combination thereof.
• the material or material system may be doped with one or more of the following dopants: phosphorus, lithium, antimony, arsenic, boron, aluminium, tantalum, gallium, indium, bismuth, silicon, germanium, sulphur, tin, tellurium, selenium, carbon, beryllium, magnesium, zinc or cadmium.
• the predetermined doping level may be less than 1 x10 18 cm “3 , such as less than 1 x10 16 cm "3 , such as less than 1 x10 14 cm “3 , such as less than 1 x10 13 cm "3 , such as less than 1 x10 12 cm '3 .
• the means for providing the first electrical charge to the first surface may comprise an at least partly conductive first material or material system.
• the means for providing the second electrical charge to the second surface may comprise an at least partly conductive second material or material system.
• the at least partly conductive first and second material or material system may constitute thin layers each having a first and a second surface.
• the layers may comprise one or more of the following materials: gold, chromium, platinum, aluminium, copper, caesium, rubidium, strontium, indium, praseodymium, samarium, ytterbium, francium or europium or any combination thereof.
• the second surface of the first layer may be operationally connected to a first terminal of a charge reservoir, whereas the first surface may be in direct contact with the first surface of the material or material system of the element.
• the first surface of the second layer may be operationally connected to a second terminal of the charge reservoir, whereas the second surface is in direct contact with the second surface of the material or material system of the element.
• the charge reservoir may comprise a battery or any other electrical energy source capable of providing a direct or alternating current to the article.
• the first and second layer may comprise a metal or a highly doped semiconductor material with a doping level higher than 1 x10 17 cm "3 .
• the present invention relates to a method for providing a first type of electrons, said method comprising the steps of:
• the element comprises a material or a material system being prepared so as to reduce electron scattering within the material or material system, and having a predetermined crystal orientation perpendicular to the first or second surface,
• the first type of electrons may comprise electrons traversing the element with normal losses, whereas the second type of electrons may comprise quasi-ballistic electrons.
• the material or material system forming at least part of the element may comprise semiconductor materials.
• a list of suitable materials or combinations thereof have been mentioned in relation to the first and second aspects of the present invention.
• the preparation may comprise doping using the above-mentioned dopants and doping levels in order to reduce scattering of quasi-ballistic electrons.
• Suitable materials or material systems for providing the first and second charges to the element may comprise a metal or a highly doped semiconductor material with a doping level higher than 1 x10 17 cm "3 .
• Examples of such materials are: gold, chromium, platinum, aluminium, copper, caesium, rubidium, strontium, indium, praseodymium, samarium, ytterbium, francium or europium or any combination thereof.
• the present invention relates to a method for fabricating an article, said method comprising the steps of:
• a semiconductor material or material system having a first and a second surface, the second surface being substantially parallel to the first surface, the semiconductor material or material system having a predetermined crystal orientation perpendicular to the first or second surface
• first material or material system forming a layer having a first and a second surface, wherein the second surface is operationally connected to a first terminal of a charge reservoir and wherein the first surface is in direct contact with the first surface of the material or material system of the element, and
• the preparation may comprise doping using the above-mentioned dopants and doping levels in order to reduce scattering of quasi-ballistic electrons.
• the predetermined crystal orientation may comprise the ⁇ 1 1 1 > , ⁇ 1 10> or ⁇ 100> direction, or any other crystal orientation appropriate for the crystal structure of the element.
• the surface treatment may comprise different kinds of techniques such as etching and/or polishing. Polishing may comprise optical and/or mechanical polishing.
• dopants these may be selected from the group consisting of lithium, phosphor, antimony, arsenic, boron, aluminium, tantalum, gallium or indium or any combination thereof.
• the doping level may be less than 1x10 18 cm “3 , such as less than 1 x10 16 cm “3 , such as less than 1 x10 14 cm “3 , such as less than 1 x10 13 cm “3 , such as less than 1 x10 12 cm “3 .
• the at least partly conductive first and second material or material system may comprise a metal or a highly doped semiconductor material with a doping level larger than 1x10 17 cm "3 .
• materials may comprise gold, platinum, chromium, aluminium or copper or any combination thereof.
• the present invention relates to a flat panel display comprising
• a layer of material being adapted to emit light at a plurality of wavelengths upon exposure of electrons, said material layer defining, in a plane substantially parallel to the first and second surface of the element, a two-dimensional matrix having one or more surface elements, each surface element being adapted to emit light at a predetermined wavelength, and
• the material layer for emitting the plurality of wavelengths may comprise an appropriate luminophors or standard colour television phosphors.
• the material layer may be held by the first or second surface of the element. Alternatively, the material layer may be held by an additional element.
• the emitted light may comprise at least three wavelengths corresponding to at least three colours. By combining these three colours it should be possible to deduce any colour in the visible range.
• the emitted wavelengths may correspond to colours red, yellow and blue, or to colours red, green and blue.
• the selective means may comprise a pattern so as to define, in a plane substantially parallel to the first or second surface, a two-dimensional matrix of electrically controllable matrix elements, said pattern being formed by the at least partly conductive material or material system.
• the present invention relates to a method for exposing a film, such as a resist, to a plurality of electrons of a first type, said method comprising the steps of:
• the first surface is adapted to hold a first electrical charge
• the second surface is adapted to hold a second electrical charge
• the element comprises a material or a material system being prepared so as to reduce electron scattering within the material or material system, and having a predetermined crystal orientation perpendicular to the first or second surface,
• absorption layer being adapted to absorb electrons transmitted through the first element at positions determined by the pattern, - providing the first electrical charge to the first surface of the first element, and
• the preparation may comprise doping using the above-mentioned dopants and doping levels in order to reduce scattering of quasi-ballistic electrons.
• the first and second electrical charges are provided to the first and second surfaces of the first element from a first and second terminal of a charge reservoir, respectively, wherein the potential difference between the first and second terminals of the charge reservoir is larger than 2 volts.
• the third electrical charge is provided to the second element from a third terminal of the charge reservoir.
• the second element may comprise a metal or a semiconductor material, such as silicon, germanium, silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, indium antimonide, indium arsenide, aluminium arsenide, zinc telluride or silicon nitride or any combination thereof.
• a metal or a semiconductor material such as silicon, germanium, silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, indium antimonide, indium arsenide, aluminium arsenide, zinc telluride or silicon nitride or any combination thereof.
• first type of electrons may comprise electrons traversing the element with normal losses, whereas the second type of electrons may comprise quasi-ballistic electrons.
• Figure 1 is a schematic and simplified electron energy band diagram according to present invention, when the applied external potential is zero.
• Figure 2 is schematic and simplified electron energy band diagram according to present invention, when a finite external potential is applied.
• Figure 3 is a simplified model of the basic structure of a planar electron emitter according to the present invention.
• Figure 4 is a schematic side view if a flat panel display showing the patterned electrodes and luminophor, the latter being placed between the QB-Semiconductor substrate and the anode.
• Figure 5 is a top view of Figure 4.
• Figure 6 is an alternative embodiment to the flat panel display according to Figure 4, in which the luminophors are placed after the anode.
• Figure 7 is another alternative to the flat panel display according to Figure 4, in which an electron acceleration electrode are incorporated, and the luminophors are placed after the accelerating electrode.
• Figure 8 is a schematic side view of a prior art planar electron emitter for Planar Electron Beam Lithography.
• a template of electron absorbing material is placed between the QB- Semiconductor and the anode.
• An electron acceleration electrode is added, and the substrate to be exposed is placed before this electron acceleration electrode.
• Figure 9 is an alternative embodiment according to Figure 8, in which the substrate to be exposed is placed after the electron acceleration electrode and outside the vacuum while the total structure of QB-Semiconductor and electrodes are placed in vacuum.
• Figure 10 is equivalent to Figure 8 but with a planar quasi-ballistic electron emitter according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 11 is a schematic drawing of an apparatus for implementing planar quasi-ballistic electron emitters in Planar Electron Beam Lithography.
• Figure 12 is a photograph of the apparatus of Figure 11.
• Figure 13 is one possible template as mentioned under Figure 10.
• Figure 14 is a scanning electron microscope photograph showing some structures made by Planar Electron Beam Lithography.
• Figure 15 is a 3D view showing the interior of the embodiment according to two- dimensional illuminating panels.
• Figure 16 is a 3D view showing the exterior of the embodiment of Figure 15.
• Figure 17 is an alternative embodiment according to two-dimensional illuminating panels.
• Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of a typical, fast, planar Schottky barrier diode according to the present invention.
• Figure 19 is schematic and simplified electron energy band diagram according to the embodiments of Photo-Sensing and Photo-Emitting devices.
• FIG 20 is a schematic diagram of a typical planar Metal - Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MESFET).
• MESFET Planar Metal - Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor
• Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of a device according to the present invention for the detection and recording of two-dimensional optical signals/images.
• Figure 22 is a schematic drawing according to the embodiment of an optical signal/image- processing device.
• Figure 23 is a schematic energy diagram of one of the possible constructions of a solar cell according to the present invention.
• Figure 24 is a schematic drawing according to the embodiment of an Electron Cold Emission Microscopy (ECEM).
• ECEM Electron Cold Emission Microscopy
• FIG. 1 a simple electron band structure as a function of spatial co-ordinate of a piece of semiconductor or insulator material is shown, where two, for the electrical transport most relevant, quantum mechanical energies E v (top of the valence band) and E c (bottom of the conduction band) are marked. The two energies E c and E v are separated by a band gap E g .
• a set of two metal electrodes, 1 (cathode) and 4 (anode) are deposited on the two respective surfaces S2 and S3 of the said piece of semiconductor or insulator material. For the sake of simplicity these two electrodes are assumed to be identical.
• V (x) E x . (1)
• Figure 1 then describes in its totality the situation at finite temperature when no external electrical field is applied.
• V-drift (electrons; holes) mobility (electrons; holes) E , (2)
• the component l a ⁇ ( Figure 2) is the contribution to the total electrical current running through the structure shown in Figure 2 from quasi-ballistic electrons, that is those electrons, injected into said piece of semiconducting or insulating material from the metal electrode 1 , that essentially do not suffer any inelastic energy losses nor any appreciable momentum changes while moving through the said piece of semiconducting or insulating material towards the metal electrode 2 along the electron quasi-ballistic trajectory shown in Figure 2.
• the electrical current component l em is due to those electrons (quasi- ballistic electrons) which, after traversing from the metal electrode 1 , through the said piece of semiconducting or insulating material and into the metal electrode 2, have still sufficient energy (energy larger than the energy barrier of the emitting surface S4 - Free Space interface) and finite, sufficiently large velocity component in x- direction in order to escape from the structure, composed of the metal electrode 1 plus the said piece of semiconducting or insulating material plus metal electrode 2, into free space (FS in Figure 2) through electron emitting surface S4 ( Figure 2).
• the quasi-ballistic semiconductor (QB-Sem) in this case was the said single crystal silicon sample, cut out from a single crystal Si ingot, prepared by a Float Zone crystal growth method. Thin slices (wafers) were prepared from this ingot, with ⁇ 111> orientation perpendicular to the wafer surface. However, other lattice orientations ⁇ 110> and ⁇ 100> can also be chosen with similar results. If a material crystal other than Silicon is used, lattice orientations appropriate for such material crystal should be chosen. Both surfaces S2 and S3 were optically polished.
• the Phosphorus doping level (giving n-type conductivity) was chosen to be 2.0 10 12 cm -3.
• a Schottky contact (a cathode) was prepared by a successive evaporation of 50 A of Chromium onto the surface S2 followed by evaporation of 2000 A of Gold.
• the anode was ohmic, consisting of high Phosphor concentration, degenerate silicon layer (a thin region appr. ⁇ 1 microns thick, below the surface S3 - see Figure 3) and a thin 150 A thick evaporated Gold film.
• the choice of the quasi-ballistic semiconductor is not limited to one particular material, but can be prepared in a number of different ways, using different materials.
• the only requirements are the existence of a finite band gap E g (see Figure 1) and the existence of quasi-ballistic trajectories for electrons between the two opposite surfaces of the material.
• the said material QB-Sem
• the said material is silicon, but group III - V compound semiconductors (such as GaAs) and group II - VI compound semiconductors are also equally good candidates. Crystallographic orientation, shallow and deep impurities doping levels and the temperature of operation of the finished device are the important parameters to consider when choosing a suitable quasi-ballistic semiconductor.
• Quasi-ballistic semiconductor also well suited as Quasi-ballistic semiconductor (at least in principle) are insulators such as SiO 2 , AI 2 O 3 , Silicon carbide, silicon nitride, diamond (or diamond-like Carbon particles) and others. Some of the materials have been and/or are being investigated in connection with their use as field emission electron sources already (see prior art).
• the cathode region has been formed by evaporation of Chromium and Gold metal films onto the surface S2 of the silicon sample, forming in this way a rectifying Schottky contact.
• the sole purpose of the cathode region though is to maintain various amount of negative charge ⁇ Q on the surface S2 and this can be done in a number of different ways.
• the region 1 is just a gaseous phase of partially ionised gas such as Argon and/or Nitrogen. No metal electrode is required in this case at all.
• the said extra negative charge ⁇ Q from the battery moves the chemical potential ⁇ uf (see Figure 2) as much as possible (increase of the electron injection into QB-Sem).
• This can be achieved by decreasing the interface electron density of states through mechanical, chemical and/or thermal treatment of the surface S2. If the metal cathode electrode is either required or desired, this treatment of the surface S2 is done prior metal material deposition. Alternatively, one can choose a metallic material with low electron density of states at the Fermi level and/or low electron work function.
• the anode region As described above, a thin region of silicon sample, next to the surface S3, has been implanted with high dose of Phosphorus, becoming in this way degenerate. A thin Gold film has been then deposited on the said surface S3 which has been optically polished prior this Gold film deposition, the whole structure forming in this way an ohmic contact to the silicon sample.
• This preparation of the anode region might not lead to the most optimal performance of the said Planar Electron Emitter PEE.
• the sole purpose of the anode region is to secure that a various amount of negative charge ⁇ Q can be removed from the surface S3 region.
• the requirements concerning the optimal functioning of the said (anode) region are different from those valid for the cathode region.
• the hole current l h (see Figure 2) should be minimised (current l h increases as the interface chemical potential ⁇ M ch moves downwards in energy - see Figure 2) as well as the thickness of the anode metal electrode (relatively large energy losses of the quasi-ballistic electrons when moving through region 4).
• current l h increases as the interface chemical potential ⁇ M ch moves downwards in energy - see Figure 2) as well as the thickness of the anode metal electrode (relatively large energy losses of the quasi-ballistic electrons when moving through region 4).
• a metal with very high electron density of states at the Fermi level and/or very high electron density of states within the surface S3 - region 4 interface As with the preparation of the surface S2, also here this can be achieved with the proper mechanical, chemical and/or thermal treatment of the said surface S3 prior metal deposition.
• the surface S3 is free of the metal electrode (region 4 in Figure 3) and an extra electrode (electron acceleration electrode 7 - see Figure 8 for example) is placed within the free space FS ( Figure 3) and in closed vicinity of the surface S3.
• This extra electrode is biased at relatively high positive potential with the respect to surface S3 and/or the cathode region 1 , polarising in this way the whole assembly.
• the surface S3 can be geometrically shaped in such a way as to increase the said electric field locally at points (and/or sharply curved regions) of the surface S3, spatially closest to the electron acceleration electrode 7 in Figure 8.
• the geometrically shaped surface S3 can be covered by a thin metal electrode (serving as a anode), the whole Planar Electron Emitter assembly (inclusive the electron acceleration electrode 7) looking similar to an arrangement shown in Figure 8. In such an arrangement the electrical discharging/charging up effects on the geometrically shaped surface S3 are minimised.
• the sample was placed in the vacuum and at external voltage of some 4.0 Volts (forward bias) between the cathode and the anode (at four volts across 0.5 millimetre - the thickness of silicon sample, the electric filed of 80.0 Volts/cm was created within the bulk of the silicon sample) a finite, relatively large and laterally homogeneous electron emission current m was observed.
• the magnitude of the emission current m indicated that as much as some 30 % of all electrons, injected into the silicon sample from the cathode, reached the anode with energies of some 4 eV (electron affinity in silicon is 4.0 eV) above the energy E c (see Figure 2), sufficient in order for these electrons to surmount the energy barrier of the anode surface S4 - vacuum interface and to escape into the free space FS (see Figure 3).
• PEE Planar Electron Emitter
• the region 1 (a cathode) is connected both to region 2 (a piece of quasi-ballistic semiconductor) via surface S2 and to a negative pole of an external electrical charge/voltage supply 8 (battery) via electrical contact pads (ECP). Its role (cathode), together with the battery, is to supply and to maintain the negative electrical charge ⁇ Q (electrons) on the surface S2. At the same time, the same negative electrical charge ⁇ Q is removed from the region 4 (anode).
• the anode is connected to region 2 via surface S3 and to a positive pole of the external charge/voltage power supply 8 via ECP, the said power supply 8 maintaining the surface S3 positively charged.
• l em of hundreds of nano-Amperes per square centimetre can be measured at electrical fields of the order of some 100 Volts/cm (from now on termed as ohmic electric fields), with the total thickness of the device L2 being macroscopic (less than millimetres).
• the device depicted in Figure 3 is a large area planar electron emitter that is very simple to manufacture and can be produced at a very competitive price, even when compared with the standard Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) TV screens.
• CRT Cathode Ray Tube
• an alternative embodiment of the Planar Electron Emitter according to the present invention can involve a heated cathode structure (region 1 - see Figure 3).
• the electrons are injected into the QB-semiconductor by photo-illumination of the cathode-injecting surface S2 region (in some cases this region can include part of the QB-semiconductor next to the surface S2) through the surface S1.
• This embodiment of the said Planar Electron Emitter PEE according to the present invention is particularly useful in opto-electronic applications.
• Planar Electron Emitter PEE
• PEE Planar Electron Emitter
• One of the obvious applications of the present invention is its use in the construction of robust, reliable, large, low power dissipation and cheap Field Emission Flat Panel Displays (FE-FPD).
• FE-FPD Field Emission Flat Panel Displays
• FIG 4 which is a cross-sectional diagram along the line A - A of the FE-FPD shown in Figure 5 is one of the possible vacuum-less FE-FPDs according to the present invention
• the basic planar structure of the present invention - 1 (cathode), 2(QB-Sem) and 4(anode - optically transparent in this preferred embodiment) is clearly apparent also in Figure 4.
• the cathode and the anode are patterned and that an extra layer 3 is introduced between the surface S3 of the QB-semiconductor and the anode 4.
• This third layer consists of alternative (patterned) segments of red 5, yellow 18 and blue 11 phosphors or other colour light emitting luminophor. The segments are separated from each other by light non-emitting, electron absorbing material 16.
• the patterning of layers 1 , 3 and 4 enables selective addressing ("switching-on" an element 23 (i, j) by application of the appropriate voltages) of the individual colour segments ("pixels") and is shown in Figure 5.
• the cathode 1 in form of metallic parallel strips
• Red 5, Yellow 18 and Blue 11 luminophor strips are deposited on the front surface S3 of the QB- semiconductor 2, in alignment with the said cathode strips, as shown in Figure 5.
• the anode 4 also in form of metallic, parallel strips, is deposited on the top of the layer 3, with anode metallic strips at right angles to the cathode metallic strips, as indicated in Figure 5.
• the electrical leads 9 and 10 are attached to the respective metallic strips of the anode and the cathode via electrical contact pads ECP, the whole cathode - anode structure forming in this way selectively addressable matrix of single colour light emitting elements.
• the element (i, j) is switched on by applying an appropriate voltage between the line i - (cathode) and the line j - (anode).
• the electrical leads 9 and 10 are connected to the usual TV a/c circuitry that drives the whole FE-FPD shown schematically in Figures 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
• the dimensions d1 , d2, d3 and d4 of the pixel matrix can be optimised at will, using the standard semiconducting patterning technology to fit the spatial resolution requirements of FE-FPD at hand.
• the typical over-all size L1 L2 of a "single chip" FE-FPD depicted in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 is at present of the order of 20 cm by 20 cm, with the availability of 30.0 cm diameter Si wafers.
• a arbitrary number of "single chip” modules can be joined together on an appropriate substrate, using the segments d2 and d4 (see Figure 5) as joining regions, preventing in this way the spatial degradation of the formed optical image quality.
• the thickness L3 of the said FE-FPD depicted in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 is of the order of one millimetre, this thickness being essentially the thickness of the QB-semiconductor wafer.
• the layers 3 and 4 are switched over in order to illustrate yet another possible physical form of the said FE-FPD.
• the colour light layer 3 faces directly the free space FS.
• the surface S5 can contain a protective, transparent (anti-reflection) coating. It has to be stressed at this point that the segments 5, 6 and 11 shown in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 do not have to be necessarily luminophor.
• the colour light-emitting layer 3 represents also other types of electron-to-colour-light conversion materials and/or devices. One such type is an arrangement, which can be described with the help of Figure 4.
• the structure 1 (cathode), 2(QB-semiconductor), Red/Yellow/Blue) elements (5, 18, 11) and 4(anode) form a matrix of Colour Light Emitting Diodes (CLED).
• CLED Colour Light Emitting Diodes
• the colour light emitting layer 3 shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 is removed from the basic planar electron emitter structure 1 (cathode), 2(QB-semiconductor) and 4(anode) and it is deposited on the optically transparent (glass for example) plate 13 that forms, together with parts 14 and 12, the vacuum encapsulation of the said vacuum FE-FPD.
• the electron acceleration electrode 7 that is deposited onto the layer 3 is biased to the appropriate high positive voltage.
• This arrangement secures that the quasi-ballistic electrons that leave the basic planar electron emitter structure (attached mechanically to the base plate 12 via mechanical supports 15) through the surface S4, are accelerated within the free space FS (now vacuum) to sufficiently high energies in order to secure the proper functioning of the standard colour TV phosphors 5, 6 and 11.
• the thickness (Dim 2) of the vacuum FE-FPD shown in Figure 7 is of the order of one to two centimetres, while the area (Dim 1) is unchanged in relation to the previously described vacuum-less FE-FPD.
• Example 2 Planar Electron Beam Lithography
• planar electron emitter according to the present invention the major drawback imposed by the short lifetime of the prior art planar electron emitters, are solved.
• the present invention offers a qualitatively new and robust solution to the present day needs of the semiconductor industry. The method and the embodiment are described in Figures 9 to 14.
• FIG. 10 One possible embodiment according to the present invention of such a planar electron emitter structure is shown in Figure 10.
• the major difference from prior art Figure 8 is the replacement of a thin film oxide layer 24 in Figure 8 by a quasi-ballistic semiconductor QB- Sem 2 in Figure 10.
• the electrons injected from the cathode 1 into QB-semiconductor 2 through the surface S2, travel along the quasi-ballistic trajectories within the QB-semiconductor. They emerge, through the surface S3 and enter either the patterned absorbing template 19 or the anode 4.
• the part of the quasi-ballistic electrons, not stopped by the electron absorbing template 19, then have enough energy to enter the free space FS through the surface S4 as for example the electron at point i.
• These electrons are then accelerated within the free space region, FS, to sufficiently high energies by the electron acceleration electrode 7.
• the electron acceleration electrode 7 consists in this particular illustration of the wafer and the deposited electron sensitive resist 6.
• FIG. 9 One of possible alternatives to the embodiment shown in Figure 10 is shown in Figure 9.
• an accelerating electrode 7 and electron scintillator 17 structure has been inserted between the planar electron emitter structure 1 , 2, 19, 4 and wafer plus photo-resist part 6.
• Such an arrangement allows for the planar electron projection system to be under vacuum (it is the region 17, 12 and 14 that form the vacuum encapsulation of the said electron emitter structure), operating continuously if necessary, while the wafers to be processed can be placed on the top of the scintillator 17.
• 20 is the said cathode - QB-Sem - anode assembly (very similar in construction to the arrangement shown in Figure 10 - parts 1 , 2, 19 and 4), 6 is the wafer substrate with the deposited resist layer, 21 is the x, y positioning table and finally 22 is a pair of Helmholtz coils to generate a homogeneous magnetic field between the cathode - anode assembly and the wafer - x,y table assembly.
• it is the cathode - QB-Sem - anode assembly that was negatively biased with the respect to the wafer substrate that was kept near ground potential. The emitted electrons have been accelerated in the established electrical field from high negative potential towards ground.
• the said planar electron emitter can be used very conveniently in the construction of two-dimensional (planar and non-planar) illumination sources.
• FIG. 15 and 16 One such possible flat illumination panel is shown schematically in Figure 15 and 16.
• the basic structure of the planar electron emitter (cathode 1 , QB-semiconductor 2 and the anode 4) is used as planar source of electrons (when an appropriate electrical voltage is applied between the cathode and the anode) emerging into the free space FS.
• These electrons are accelerated within this space by means of the accelerating electrode 7 and enter the light emitting layer 3.
• the optically transparent plate 13 typically a glass plate
• that allows the generated light to escape from the said structure forms (together with plates 14 and 12) the vacuum encapsulation of the whole assembly.
• the light emitting layer 3 is left out and the free space FS is filled with an appropriate gas and/or gas mixture, the necessary illumination being now generated through gas ionisation and fluorescence.
• the typical dimensions of the above- described flat illumination are indicated in Figure 16. While “Dim1" - the thickness of the illumination panel can be easily under one centimetre; the “Dim2” can be easily of the order of meters. Because of the simplicity of construction, the present invention can be used also in the construction of non-planar (round) two-dimensional illumination sources. One of the possible arrangements of such a source is shown schematically in Figure 17.
• the cathode 1 , the QB-semiconductor 2 and the anode 4 are concentric cylindrical layers.
• the QB electrons emerge into the free space FS radially and after acceleration via accelerating electrode 7, they enter the light emitting region 3.
• the generated light escapes through the transparent (glass) envelope 13.
• the light emitting layer 3 can be left out and the free space can be filled with the appropriate light emitting gas.
• the basic structure (the cathode, QB-semiconductor and the anode) of the present invention is preserved, although in some applications only the properties of quasi-ballistic electrons between the two electrodes are utilised, rather than their ability to escape into free space FS (see Figure 2).
• the names "cathode” and “anode” will not always be used now in attempt to use more the terminology of Semiconductor Physics.
• These electron transmitting properties of the QB-Semiconductor are very similar to the properties of electrons moving between a cathode and an anode in a vacuum tube, only now no vacuum is needed.
• the injection of electrons from the cathode takes place at room temperature and the whole device in question can be made of submicron dimensions. In this way the present invention combines all the advantages of vacuum tubes and modern all solid state semiconductor technology.
• Class A Rectification and charge (information) storage
• Semiconductor components/devices in this class include bipolar p - n, p - i - n diodes, thyristors as well as a number of unipolar devices such as MIS (Metal - Insulator - Semiconductor) diodes, CCD (Charge Coupled Device), MIS tunnel diodes, MIS switch diodes, IMPATT (Impact lonisation Avalanche Transit Time) and BARITT (Barrier Injection 5 and Transit Time) diodes and other related Transit Time devices.
• MIS Metal - Insulator - Semiconductor
• CCD Charge Coupled Device
• MIS tunnel diodes MIS switch diodes
• IMPATT Impact lonisation Avalanche Transit Time
• BARITT Barrier Injection 5 and Transit Time
• Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of a typical, fast, planar Schottky barrier diode according to the present invention. Also displayed are the equivalent R, C electrical networks 36 and 10 37 (see US 5,627,479 and EP 672 257 B1), describing the electrical response of a prior art diode 36 and a QB-Semiconductor diode 37.
• the diode current l d io e is controlled by the depletion resistance Rd which is in turn determined by the extend of the depletion region W d .
• W d depletion region length (width) W d is exponentially dependent on the applied voltage V so between the Schottky and Ohmic electrical contacts.
• the rectification action is achieved through the control of W d by V so , which in turn induces exponentially strong changes in Rd that controls the diode current l di0d e (forward and reverse diode current). Since there is no electron velocity saturation at high electrical fields, it is not necessary to diminish the over-
• the Quasi-ballistic Schottky diode according to the present invention will be workable at higher frequencies and will be characterised by simpler design and very low power dissipation through shunting of the resistor R q by L qb (quasi-ballistic electrons' kinetic inductance) in 37 of Figure 18.
• Class B Photo-Sensing and Photo-Emitting devices
• This class of semiconducting components/devices include among others LEDs' (Light 30 Emitting Diodes), Photodiodes, Semiconducting Lasers, Avalanche diodes and other photoconducting devices for light to electrical signal conversion purposes.
• a simplified energy band diagram shown in Figure 19 illustrates the physical principles 35 behind and one possible construction (preferred embodiment) of a quasi-ballistic photodiode (A - references), a quasi-ballistic Light-Emitting diode (B - references) and one of the possible constructions (preferred embodiment) of a first stage of an optical signal detection/amplification/spatial magnification device (C - references), all according to the present invention
• the optical signal (incoming light) is absorbed within the cathode region (region between the surfaces S1 and S2 - Figure 19) and a thin region within the QB-semiconductor that lies close to the surface S2, creating in this process a number of electron - hole pairs (process marked "Exc1" in Figure 19).
• the photo-excited electrons then constitute the quasi-ballistic current Ibal, are accelerated and enter the avalanche multiplication region AMR through the surface S5.
• the avalanche multiplication process AM leads to an amplified electrical current signal l e and l h .
• the avalanche multiplication region AMR can be left out, the electrical signal from the photon - electron conversion (“Exc1") being sufficiently amplified through the acceleration of the generated quasi-ballistic electrons.
• the described quasi-ballistic photodiode according to the present invention has high quantum efficiency, relatively very low power dissipation and can be manufactured in a form of two-dimensional photo-sensor array when two-dimensional optical image (signal) detection and processing is required.
• the electrical signal (voltage bias between the cathode and the anode) that can be also time modulated if needed (opto-electronic applications), controls the amount of injected electrons that enter the QB-semiconductor region QB-S em (process "Exc2" in Figure 19). After acceleration, while moving through the QB-Sem region, these electrons (current l ba ⁇ in Figure 19) enter the Light Emitting Region (LER) through the surface S5 and create photon flux through the process of recombination across the band gap Eg (see Figure 2 and process B in Figure 19). This photon flux (that is also time modulated if the cathode - anode voltage bias ⁇ ⁇ Q (t) is time dependent) then finally emerges into the free space FS.
• LER Light Emitting Region
• the above described device When the electron injection process "Exc2" is of sufficient intensity and the light emitting region LER (normally heavily p-doped) satisfies the necessary conditions for population inversion, the above described device will function as a quasi-ballistic semiconductor laser with a very low power dissipation, high efficiency and can be used very effectively in optoelectronic applications such as optical fibre signal transmission and tele-communications in general.
• Example 4c Class C Amplification and Non-volatile memory
• bipolar transistors and bipolar unijunction transistors are also bipolar transistors and bipolar unijunction transistors, together with a number of unipolar components and devices inclusive FETs (Field Effect Transistor), JFETs (Junction Field Effect Transistor), MESFETs (Metal - Semiconductor Field Effect
• MOSFET Metal - Oxide - Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor
• Non- Volatile Memory devices Particularly relevant in relation to present invention within this class are tunnel transistors, TEDs (Transferred - Electron Devices) and other ballistic (Hot Electron) transistors and/or devices.
• FIG 20 is a schematic diagram of a typical planar Metal - Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MESFET).
• the current l d between the source and the drain electrodes is controlled by the voltage V g through changing the active depletion width W d (V ).
• V active depletion width
• "a" is the electrically active part of the substrate semiconductor SEM
• "L” is the conductivity channel length
• "Z” is the width of the device.
• the channel length has to sufficiently reduced ( ⁇ 1.5 micron) and the typical operating voltages V ds create high electrical fields between the source and the drain.
• the velocity of electrical charges (electrons) becomes then saturated (electrical field dependent mobility region is reached) and this limits the speed of the said device operation.
• MESFET device according to the present invention and depicted in Figure 20 is characterised not only by fast response (high frequency response), but also by very low power dissipation since source-drain current Id is quasi-ballistic in nature.
• MOSFET Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor
• Non-Volatile memory MOSFETs and other devices within this class according to the present invention All of these devices are characterised by simplicity of design, robustness, high response speed and very low power dissipation.
• Class D Optical image detection, formation and processing
• the present invention can be used in a number of ways:
• the two last ways are both two-dimensional detector arrays of electromagnetic radiation to be used in optical image detection, formation and processing. This involves what could be roughly defined as two basic applications of the present invention: a) Quasi-ballistic semiconductor camera (Conversion of 2D-optical images/signals to electrical signal sequences) b) A system for 2D-optical image/signal brightness/contrast amplification and spatial magnification
• Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of a device according to the present invention for the detection and recording of two-dimensional optical signals/images.
• the QB-semiconductor is sandwiched between a cathode 1 and an anode 4. Both electrodes are patterned in a way similar to x, y patterning shown in Figure 5.
• the metal cathode, QB-semiconductor and the anode form a two-dimensional array of Schottky barrier photodiodes that can be addressed individually and sequentially, as illustrated in Figure 5 (pixel diode i, j - switched on).
• optical image forming light enters the said structure shown in Figure 21 through appropriate colour filters R (red), Y (yellow) and B (blue) and it is absorbed within the region consisting of cathode - QB-semiconductor interface and QB-semiconductor depletion region, creating in this process a number of electron - hole pairs.
• the overall thickness (Dim2) of the said device is in the region of few millimetres, while the active area of the said device (lateral dimension Dim1) can be of the order of up to some 30 centimetres with the present day technology.
• High quantum efficiency, high spatial resolution, robustness and the simplicity of construction are just few of the attractive features of the proposed device according to the present invention.
• Figure 22 In a number of applications (such as astrophysics, infra-red vision/imaging and others), very weak, two-dimensional optical images have to be detected, processed and recorded, with an additional demand for high spatial resolution/magnification and/or for spectral information to be extractable.
• One of possible devices according to the present invention that fulfils these requirements is shown schematically in Figure 22. It consists of two parts, where part A is the two-dimensional optical image/signal amplification part, while the part B is the two-dimensional optical image/signal spatial magnification part.
• the incoming photons that forms the optical image in the plane of the primary optical image 25 is absorbed within the region of the cathode, interface S2 and the depletion region of the QB-semiconductor as indicated schematically in Figure 22, creating in this way a number of electron - hole pairs. This number depends both on the energy of incoming photons (spectroscopic information) and on the number of incoming photons (the signal intensity information).
• the quasi-ballistic electrons created within the plane of the primary optical image are accelerated within the QB-semiconductor region QB-Sem (primary amplification) and because of their properties they can leave the basic planar electron emitter structure (cathode, QB-semiconductor and the anode) through the surface S4. At the same time though they form in this way also an electron - optical image of the original optical image in the plane of the primary optical image.
• the obtained electron-optical image formed in the plane of the surface S4 can be processed further by suitable electron optics (not shown). It is further amplified with the help of the accelerating electrode (secondary amplification) and can be if needed spatially magnified (electron- optical primary spatial magnification).
• This spatially magnified and intensity amplified electron-optical image is converted back to a second stage optical image with the help of an appropriate electron scintilator 17.
• the plane 26 of this second stage optical image then becomes the object plane of the final optical magnification system 29 to secure the secondary spatial magnification of the original optical image.
• the final optical image, that is signal/intensity amplified in part A and spatially magnified in 29 is then formed in the plane 27 of the final optical image ready for recording by a proper optical recording device 28 (photographic plate or CCD).
• a proper optical recording device 28 photographic plate or CCD
• the said planar electron emitter in conjunction with the electron-optical parts within the free space region FS can be used as a spectroscopic device, extracting the necessary information about the photon energy spectrum within the primary optical image.
• Example 5 Photovoltaic applications Due to very low inelastic scattering and recombination rates of the quasi-ballistic electrons, a Schottky barrier diode according to the present invention is a highly efficient photoconductor and its use in the photovoltaic applications is obvious.
• One of the possible constructions of a solar cell according to the present invention is shown schematically in Figure 23.
• the said device is formed by QB-semiconductor layer 2 sandwiched between two electrodes - a cathode 1 and an anode 2. While the cathode and the QB-semiconductor form a Schottky rectifying contact, the anode and the QB-semiconductor form an ohmic contact.
• the internal electrical field E(x) within the said device caused by the electrical charge transfer that takes place in order to establish thermodynamical equilibrium, has a profile shown in the bottom part of Figure 23.
• the process D is the generation of electron-hole pair at the interface between the cathode and the QB-semiconductor.
• the process E is a generation of electron-hole pair within the depletion region of the QB-semiconductor and finally the process F describes the photon absorption process generating electron-hole pair within the bulk of the QB-semiconductor (region of QB-Sem where the internal electrical field is zero).
• the solar cell according to the present invention represents a very efficient, simple and robust light to electricity energy conversion device with a large active area.
• Electron Cold Emission Microscopy There is a potentially very important application of the present invention within the field of defects and/or imperfections investigations in the "virgin" semiconductor wafers by what is termed here as Electron Cold Emission Microscopy (ECEM). This is discussed in relation to Figure 24.
• ECEM Electron Cold Emission Microscopy
• the electrons that leave the sample (QB-Sem region in Figure 24) through the surface S3 have been injected to the said QB-semiconductor already at the surface S2 and therefore they carry the information about the conditions of the sample along the whole of their quasi- ballistic trajectory within the sample. Any imperfections and/or defects (these may be of one, two and/or three - dimensional variety) will cause their scattering (and their subsequent thermalising) away from their quasi-ballistic straight trajectories. This creates a projection-type of contrast in the electron-optical image plane.
• FIG. 24 One of the possible preferred embodiments of the said Electron Cold Emission Microscopy according to the present invention is shown schematically in Figure 24.
• the basic structure of the present invention (cathode, QB-semiconductor, anode - see also Figures 1 and 2) is preserved also in this case, only now the said basic structure forms a sample to be investigated.
• the metal electrodes facing the QB-semiconductor surface S2 and S3 are not really necessary, provided that the electrical field of sufficient strength can be generated within QB-semiconductor body and the electrons can be injected into the QB- semiconductor through the surface S2. In such configuration the whole process of virgin defect quality control can be performed contactless.
• the electrons emerging through the segment 32 of the surface S4 are then processed by standard electron optics 34 to form high spatial resolution (magnified) electron-optical image 33 of the said segment in the electron-optical image plane 30
• the whole wafer can be investigated in this way down to 10 to 50 Angstroms standard resolution of a typical scanning electron microscope.
• the present invention (planar electron emitter) is primarily targeted towards applications that require and/or benefit from the two-dimensional nature of the said invention, the present invention characteristics (such as low power dissipation, simplicity of construction, high electron emission current density and room temperature operation) make the use of the present invention in the construction of more standard electron beam sources also very attractive.
• Pointed, patterned, quasi-planar and general shape electron sources can be manufactured with ease and are termed here as "Cold Schottky Cathodes”. Their typical use will be as electron sources for Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT), x-ray tubes, Electron microscopes inclusive electron guns for evaporation, welding, imaging and possibly other electron beam applications.
• CTR Cathode Ray Tubes
• x-ray tubes Electron microscopes inclusive electron guns for evaporation, welding, imaging and possibly other electron beam applications.

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