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Persistent URL http://purl.org/net/epubs/work/20741
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Record Id 20741
Title Optimisation of silicon FEAs fabrication for space application,
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Abstract Optimization of fabrication of silicon field-emission arrays has been carried out on 4 in. silicon wafers for field-emission electric propulsion neutralizer application. A mixture of SF6, O2, and Ar for silicon tip etches has been optimized to improve the uniformity and process repeatability. A thin aluminum nitride (AlN) film has been coated on gated emitter arrays to enhance the field at the tip and to protect tips from ion bombardment. A statistical analysis of emission characteristic shows a narrow distribution of the turn-on voltage from array to array, which makes it possible to achieve a few milliamperes current emission by connecting several arrays in parallel. Lifetime tests over 1000 h have been carried out on single arrays, producing in excess of 10 µA of emission current under continuous mode of operation.
Organisation CCLRC , SSTD , CMF , EID
Keywords Physics , 07.87.+v , 79.70.+q , 85.45.Db
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Language English (EN)
Type Details URI(s) Local file(s) Year
Journal Article J Vac Sci Technol B 22, no. 3 (2004): 1071-1023. doi:10.1116/1.1736641 2004