Field Emission Air-Channel Devices as a Voltage Adder

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Field emission air-channel (FEAC) devices operate at atmospheric pressure with low voltage.
• Symmetric electrodes in FEAC devices result in symmetric Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) plots.
• FEAC devices are practical components for electronic circuits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the arithmetic application of FEAC devices.
• To investigate the substrate effect on FEAC device performance.
• To evaluate the reliability of FEAC devices.

Main Methods:

• Constructed a voltage adder using two FEAC devices.
• Evaluated parasitic components and substrate effects on a dielectric film and silicon substrate.
• Performed finite element analysis to model electric fields and electron trajectories.

Main Results:

• FEAC devices exhibited arithmetic function, specifically as a voltage adder, though with reduced output voltage.
• Device impedance was frequency-dependent due to substrate effects.
• FEAC devices maintained voltage adder functionality after reliability testing, with increased current leakage.
• Finite element analysis confirmed optimal electric fields and electron paths at sharp apices, consistent with FEAC design principles.

Conclusions:

• FEAC devices show promise for arithmetic operations in circuits.
• Substrate properties significantly influence FEAC device impedance.
• FEAC devices demonstrate functional reliability, though performance degradation (increased leakage) is observed post-testing.
• Device design, particularly sharp apices, is critical for efficient field emission and tunneling current.