New theory for the derivation of emission area from a Fowler-Nordheim plot

In field emission display technology, emission current densities are important. With broad-area emission, the average current density is often measured. Emission may actually come from a small number of centres; we need to know the 'effective emission area' and the 'true' current density. In principle, this area can be derived from the intercept of a Fowler-Nordheim (FN) plot (when linear), but the present state of the theory makes this far from straightforward. Even in the most basic application, namely cold field electron emission from broad-area metal surfaces, the theory is not formally complete. This paper reports enhancements to basic Fowler-Nordheim theory as re-formulated by Murphy and Good in 1956.