Field-Emission Vacuum Nanoelectronics

Field-Emission Vacuum Nanoelectronics: A Bird's Eye View of Theory and Practical Applications explores the field in both theoretical and practical perspectives. Field-emission devices have moved from specialized applications to become potential candidates for a future beyond-complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuits, offering superior performance at extreme temperatures, in harsh environments, and at high frequencies, due to their reliance on ballistic transport in vacuum-like or nanogap air-filled environments rather than solid-state lattice transport.

Beginning with the mechanisms of electron emission from materials and highlighting the role of nanotechnology in field emission, the Fowler-Nordheim theory of field emission is extensively treated. Enhancements of the Fowler-Nordheim theory and its various alternatives are addressed, with emphasis on the Schottky-Nordheim transmission barrier, the Murphy-Good theory, and efforts made to rephrase and reformulate the standard Fowler-Nordheim theory. On the practical side, the key components of field-emission devices, namely, cold cathodes, arrays, and electron guns, are described. Applications covered include field-emission displays and lamps, diodes and transistors, microwave power tubes (magnetrons, gyrotrons, klystrons, and traveling-wave tubes [TWTs]), information storage devices, sensors, electron microscopy, spectroscopy, scanning probe lithography, X-ray tubes, electric propulsion thrusters, and charge neutralizers. This book concludes with a discussion of research challenges and the future outlook for field-emission nanoelectronics. This book will be immensely useful to graduate and research students, engineers, and scientists.

Key features:

• Provides a simplified and up-to-date treatment of the theory and technological applications of field emission in nanoelectronics
• Showcases each field-emission application by unveiling its operation, unique benefits, fabrication process, key milestones, and emerging research directions
• Brings the underlying mathematical concepts to life with abundant, easy-to-follow examples