Work

An In Situ Automated System for Real-Time Monitoring of Failures in Large-Scale Field Emitter Arrays

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Nano-scale vacuum transistors (NVCTs) based on field emission have the potential to operate at high frequencies and withstand harsh environments, such as radiation, high temperatures, and high power. However, they have demonstrated instability and failures over time. To achieve high currents from NVCTs, these devices are typically fabricated in large-scale arrays known as field emitter arrays (FEAs), which share a common gate, cathode, and anode. Consequently, the measured currents come from the entire array, providing limited information about the emission characteristics of individual tips. Arrays can exhibit nonuniform emission behavior across the emitting area. A phosphor screen can be used to monitor the emission pattern of the array. Additionally, visible damage can occur on the surface of the FEAs, potentially leading to the destruction of the gate and emitters, causing catastrophic failure of the FEAs. To monitor damage while operating the device, an ITO-coated glass anode, which is electrically conductive and visible-light-transparent, can be used. In this work, a method was developed to automatically monitor the emission pattern of the emitters and the changes in surface morphology while operating the devices and collecting electrical data, providing real-time information on the failure sequence of the FEAs.

Source: Instruments

DOI: 10.3390/instruments8040044

Authors: Reza Farsad Asadi, Tao Zheng, Menglin Wang, Han Gao, Kenneth Sangston, Bruce Gnade

Institutions: Southern Methodist University, Coherent (United States), The University of Texas at Dallas

Language: English

Topic: Gyrotron and Vacuum Electronics Research

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,591

Funder: Air Force Office of Scientific Research