Subthreshold field emission from thin silicon membranes

摘要

We report on strongly enhanced electron multiplication in thin silicon membranes. The device is configured as a transmission-type membrane for electron multiplication. A subthreshold electric field applied on the emission side of the membrane enhances the number of electrons emitted by two orders of magnitude. This enhancement stems from field emitted electrons stimulated by the incident particles, which suggests that stacks of silicon membranes can form ultrasensitive electron multipliers.