Close-packed silicon field emitter arrays with integrated anode fabricated by electron-beam lithography

Design, fabrication, and characterization of close-packed field emitter tips enclosed in an Si trench and stand-alone arrays are presented. The two types of field emitter arrays (FEAs) are fabricated using a combination of high-throughput electron-beam lithography, plasma etching, and anode bonding integration technology. The field emitter array inside the trench shows a higher turn-on voltage compared to the stand-alone array. Without any tip sharpening, a current of 7.5 μA was observed at 300 V from FEAs inside the trench, while a higher current of 12.5 μA was observed at the same voltage for the stand-alone array.