DEFLECTION MICROWAVE-AMPLIFIER WITH FIELD-EMITTER ARRAYS

A new class of microwave and millimeter-wave amplifiers, based on the deflection of collimated microscopic electron beams with high-current density and low voltage from field-emitter arrays, was analyzed. The d eflection concept may be applied in two ways; as microelectronic ampli fiers or as bunched beam cathodes to power conventional amplifier conf igurations such as klystrodes and traveling wave tubes. We found that the frequency f(T), at which the short-circuit current gain attains un it magnitude, depends only on the electron beam energy, current densit y, and emittance, and is independent of beamwidth and total current. T he results indicate that field-emitter arrays have the potential of ma king wideband deflection amplifiers at frequencies up to tens of GHz. (C) 1994 American Institute of Physics.