Process of fabricating field-emission type electron source, electron source fabricated thereby and element structure of electron source

摘要

A cathode is formed on a glass substrate by depositing nickel thereon, and silicon dioxide is allowed to accumulate on the cathode by sputtering to form an insulator film. Then, a gate electrode is provided on the insulator film by depositing nickel thereon. A hole is formed on the glass substrate by lithography to carry out patterning, and the gate electrode and the insulator film are selectively etched to create a hole for the formation of an emitter emitting electrons. Furthermore, nickel is stacked into the hole by deposition to form the emitter, and subsequently the emitter is covered with sulfur as a high vapor-pressure substance to form a high vapor-pressure substance layer. The sulphur being an example of a high vapor-pressure substance having a vapor-pressure of 8 x 10-8 Torr or more at a temperature of 200°C. Furthermore, the process if fabricating such a cathode comprises the steps of heating the emitter in a vacuum in order to evaporate said high vapor-pressure substance hence making it possible to securely keep the emitter surface clear and free from oxidation.