ION-BEAM MODIFIED PHOTORESIST - A NEW CLASS OF FIELD EMITTER MATERIALFOR LARGE-AREA DEVICES

Ion beam irradiation effects on a novolac positive-tone photoresist an d its application to micron-size field emitters have been investigated . Irradiation of Ar and P ions was examined. The electrical resistivit y of the photoresist firm is found to decrease after Ar ion implantati on at doses on the order of 10(16) cm(-2). Baking of the photoresist p rior to irradiation at a high temperature is preferred to produce elec trical conductivity. P ions show weaker effects than Ar ions. Raman sp ectroscopy shows that carbon-carbon bonds such as the graphite bond ar e produced due to ion bombardment. The field emission of electrons is observed from emitters made of the ion-irradiated photoresist. The emi ssion current is shown to be fairly stable when it is compared with an emission characteristic of synthesized diamond. Fabrication of field emitter arrays using a mold technique is demonstrated. The field emitt er array shows emission at a current level of about 40 mu A.