Electron motion three-dimensional confinement for microelectronic vacuum gauges with field emitters

Novel microelectronics vacuum gauges using field emitters are proposed and the three-dimensional (3D) confinement of electron motion is numerically an alyzed. For the case of magnetron and inverted-magnetron structures, the tw o-dimensional (2D) confinement of electron motion takes place when the elec trons move subject to crossed electric E and magnetic B fields, The radial electric field is applied between two cylindrical surfaces coaxial around t he X axis, which is also the direction of the applied magnetic field B. A s imilar structure named "orbitip" is used for electron 2D confinement withou t magnetic fields for special conditions concerning the electron launching. For all above-mentioned devices, designs involving a region of minimal pot ential energy for the electron along the axial X direction may ensure the e lectron motion confinement along this direction. Such configurations are ob tained if the inner cylindrical electrode (or the outer one, or both) has a variable radius and also an external planar electrode is used.