Low voltage switching and stabilization of field emitter arrays by thin-film-transistor control for display application

摘要

We fabricated a field emitter array integrated with a built-in poly-Si thin film transistor (TFT). The TFT structure was optimized for field emission control; especially for high withstand voltage and lowering the off current. The TFT structure we used is multi-gate with lightly doped drain structure. The Si emitting tip was coated with hafnium carbide (HfC) to improve emission characteristics. HfC coating was very effective to enhance the emission and improve the emission lifetime. We demonstrated precise control of field emission current by the built-in poly-Si TFT. The switching voltage decreased from 50 to 15 V. The emission fluctuation of less than 1% was achieved. Furthermore, tube-less vacuum packaging was also developed for display application.