P. Bruschi et al., FABRICATION OF A SILICON-VACUUM FIELD-EMISSION MICRODIODE WITH A MOVING ANODE, Journal of vacuum science & technology. B, Microelectronics and nanometer structures processing, measurement and phenomena, 16(2), 1998, pp. 665-669
A vacuum microdiode with a moving anode was fabricated by means of a n
ew process requiring only two mask levels and only one critical etchin
g step. The cathode, with a pyramidal shape, was made by anisotropical
ly etching p silicon through a mask formed by the anode itself, which,
at the end of the process, consists of a SiO2 suspended membrane supp
orting an Al layer. The process is compatible with standard complement
ary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology. I-V characteristics were mea
sured under vacuum verifying also that the diode current is sensitive
to visible light irradiation and to changes of the anode-to-cathode di
stance. A minimum anode-cathode distance of about 5000 Angstrom was ob
tained. (C) 1998 American Vacuum Society. [S0734-211X(98)03902-X].