Control circuit for electron emission device, such as carbon nano tube array for integrated circuit manufacture, switches off excitation current when charge reaches threshold or if current magnitude is below threshold

摘要

The circuit determines if the quantity of charge transported by an excitation current has reached a predetermined charge threshold, and if the magnitude of the excitation current has reached as predetermined current threshold. The excitation current is then switched off as soon as the quantity of charge has reached the charge threshold, or as soon as the magnitude of the current is less than the current threshold. Independent claims are included for a method of controlling an electron emission device, and for an array for controlling a multi-electron emission device.