Low Operation Voltage Transfer Mold Field Emitter Arrays by Plasma Treatment using Vacuum In-situ Fabrication and Evaluation Method

摘要

Transfer Mold field emitter arrays (FEAs) have been developed by the combination of plasma treatment method and vacuum in-situ emitter fabrication and evaluation method to realize the stable emission characteristics and low operation voltage field emission displays (FEDs) and field emission lamps (FELs). Transfer Mold Ni-FEAs have been fabricated by coating thin Ni film on Ni FEAs in the vacuum in-situ fabrication and evaluation system to reproduce clean surface of Ni FEAs. Turn-on field of Transfer Mold Ni-FEAs fabricated by the vacuum in-situ fabrication and evaluation method was 13.3 V/μm. Then, the Transfer Mold Ni-FEAs after the exposures under air ambient environment were treated by hydrogen plasma using vacuum in-situ fabrication and evaluation system. Field emission characteristics of Transfer Mold Ni-FEAs into the evaluation chamber without vacuum breaking were evaluated as a function of hydrogen plasma treatment time. The turn-on fields of Transfer Mold Ni-FEAs under air ambient environments increased from 13.3 to 34.3 V/μm because of forming the oxidized material on surface of Ni-FEAs. However, by the hydrogen plasma treatment during 60 sec, turn-on fields decreased to 15.9 V/μm and this value was almost close to the value of Transfer Mold Ni-FEAs fabricated by the vacuum in-situ process, because of removing the oxidized material on the surface of Transfer Mold Ni-FEAs under air ambient environment. Therefore, the vacuum in-situ emitter fabrication and evaluation method combined by the plasma treatment is one of the most important factors to realize the FEDs and FELs having the reliable and stable emission characteristics.