Silicon Rice-Straw Array Emitters and Their Superior Electron Field Emission

Abstract

Free standing and vertically aligned silicon rice-straw like array emitters were fabricated by modified electroless metal deposition (EMD), using HFH(2)C(2) as an erching solution to reduce the emitter density and to make the emitter end of the formed silicon rice-straw arrays shaper than those formed by conventional EMD. These silicon rice-straw array emitters can be turned on at E(0) = 4.7 V/mu m, yielding an EFE (electron field emission) current density of f(c) = 139 mu A/cm(2) in an applied field of 12.8 V/mu m. According to a simple simulation, the excellent EFE performance of the silicon rice-straw array emitters originates in not only the favorable distribution of emitter arrays, but also the shape of the emitter apexes. The modified-EMD method is easily scaled up without expensive equipment, so silicon rice-straw array emitters are a promising alternative to silicon-based field emitters.