ELECTRON FIELD-EMISSION (FE) FROM QUANTUM-SIZE SYSTEMS

The shape of the potential barrier at a thin-film cathode with a quant ized electron spectrum is investigated theoretically taking into accou nt spatial dispersion effects, external field penetration and collecti ve Fermi-liquid interactions in the system of filled electron states. Quantum size effects lead to quasi-oscillatory dependences of screenin g radius, affinity energy, work function, barrier height and external field penetration into the film on film thickness. As a result of thes e effects, at some critical thicknesses which are characteristic for t he film material, the emission current from a thin-film cathode is pre dicted to be substantially greater (by some orders of magnitude) than that from the non-quantized bulk material.