FABRICATION OF MICROELECTRON GUN ARRAYS USING LASER MICROMACHINING

We have successfully fabricated miniaturized field emission tip arrays with microcolumns using microfabrication technology and laser microma chining. The nanosize Si-tip arrays with 20nm radii were fabricated us ing conventional microfabrication techniques such as an isotropic reac tive ion etching(RIE), a sharpening oxidation procedure, etc. The micr ocolumns were fabricated using laser micromachining techniques. Prepar atory laser micromachining has been performed on the various materials such as Si wafer, Mo, Ta and 304 stainless steel. Various holes with radii ranging from 2 to 100 micron on these materials were successfull y fabricated using TEM00 Yag:Nd3+ laser. The patterns of electron beam s through the laser-fabricated microcolumns were observed using a micr o channel plate and a charge coupled device (CCD) camera.