An optically switchable emitter array with carbon nanotubes grown on a Si tip for multielectron beam lithography

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Semiconductor Devices

Background:

• Field emitter arrays are crucial for electron beam applications.
• Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offer excellent electron emission properties.
• Optical control of electron emission is desirable for advanced devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, fabricate, and evaluate a novel field emitter array.
• To integrate carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on silicon (Si) tips with a pn junction.
• To achieve laser-induced optical switching of electron beam emission.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a Si tip array on a 5 μm-thick Si membrane.
• Growth of CNT emitter tips on the apex of Si tips.
• Integration of a pn junction into the emitter tips.
• Construction of an array of nine emitters with gate electrodes.
• Optical switching experiments using laser irradiation.

Main Results:

• Successful demonstration of optical switching for the nine-emitter array.
• Electron beam emission synchronized with laser irradiation.
• Achieved emission current of approximately 40 nA.
• Observed an on/off ratio of 4 for the emission current.

Conclusions:

• The developed CNT-based field emitter array with a pn junction enables effective optical switching.
• Laser irradiation provides a viable method for controlling electron beam emission.
• The device shows potential for applications requiring optically controlled electron sources.