DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF GATED FIELD EMITTER ARRAY ELECTRON-EMISSION

An inchworm controlled microfabricated detector system with laser inte rferometric feedback has been developed to provide an absolute positio n characterization of the electron emission from gated field emitter a rrays (FEAs) in an ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) environment with nanometric precision. The emission characteristics of single tip and multiple ti p FEAs are required to provide comparison with theory and simulation i n order for these to be predictably used as a reliable source of high current density for high frequency amplifiers and oscillators. In its present form, the instrumentation is used to determine the angular dis tribution of the field emitted electrons. The addition of a few compon ents will allow the measurement of emittance of the FEAs for electron gun design. Angular distribution of the electrons is measured by means of a microfabricated detector which is manipulated within an UHV envi ronment with nanometric precision. The absolute location of the detect or (within 80 nm uncertainty) is determined via laser interferometry. The details of the instrumentation with some preliminary experimental results are shown. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.