Abstract: A field emission device and method of forming a field emission device are provided in accordance with the present invention. The field emission device is comprised of a substrate (12) having a deformation temperature that is less than about six hundred and fifty degrees Celsius and a nano-supported catalyst (22) formed on the substrate (12) that has active catalytic particles that are less than about five hundred nanometers. The field emission device is also comprised of a nanotube (24) that is catalytically formed in situ on the nano-supported catalyst (22), which has a diameter that is less than about twenty nanometers.

Abstract: An optical waveguide structure (10) is provided. The optical waveguide structure (10) has a monocrystalline substrate (12), an amorphous interface layer (14) overlying the monocrystalline substrate (12) and an accommodating buffer layer (16) overlying the amorphous interface layer (14). An optical waveguide layer (20) overlies the accommodating buffer layer (16).

Abstract: A method of fabricating a field emission device cathode using electrophoretic deposition of carbon nanotubes in which a separate step of depositing a binder material onto a substrate, is performed prior to carbon nanotube particle deposition. First, a binder layer is deposited on a substrate from a solution containing a binder material. The substrate having the binder material deposited thereon is then transferred into a carbon nanotube suspension bath allowing for coating of the carbon nanotube particles onto the substrate. Thermal processing of the coating transforms the binder layer properties which provides for the adhesion of the carbon nanotube particles to the binder material.

Abstract: A field emission source comprising a first conductive region, a layer of nanotubes deposited on the first conductive region, and a second conductive region placed over and spaced from the nanotube coated first conductive region. After the device structure is fabricated, a laser beam is used to dislodge one end of the nanotube from the first conductive surface and an electric field is simultaneously applied to point the freed end of the nanotube at the second conductive region.

Abstract: A field emission device and method of forming a field emission device are provided in accordance with the present invention. The field emission device is comprised of a substrate (12) having a deformation temperature that is less than about six hundred and fifty degrees Celsius and a nano-supported catalyst (22) formed on the substrate (12) that has active catalytic particles that are less than about five hundred nanometers. The field emission device is also comprised of a nanotube (24) that is catalytically formed in situ on the nano-supported catalyst (22), which has a diameter that is less than about twenty nanometers.

Abstract: An optical waveguide structure (10) is provided. The optical waveguide structure (10) has a monocrystalline substrate (12), an amorphous interface layer (14) overlying the monocrystalline substrate (12) and an accommodating buffer layer (16) overlying the amorphous interface layer (14). An optical waveguide layer (20) overlies the accommodating buffer layer (16).

Abstract: High quality epitaxial layers of monocrystalline piezoelectric materials and compound semiconductor materials can be grown overlying monocrystalline substrates (22) such as large silicon wafers by forming a compliant substrate for growing the monocrystalline layers. An accommodating buffer layer (24) comprises a layer of monocrystalline oxide spaced apart from a silicon wafer by an amorphous interface layer (28) of silicon oxide. An integrated circuit including at least one surface acoustic wave device can be formed in and over the high quality epitaxial layers.

Abstract: This invention relates to semiconductor devices, microelectronic devices, micro electro mechanical devices, microfluidic devices, photonic devices, and more particularly to a lithographic template, a method of forming the lithographic template and a method for forming devices with the lithographic template. The lithographic template (10) is formed having a substrate (12), a transparent conductive layer (16) formed on a surface (14) of the substrate (12) by low pressure sputtering to a thickness that allows for preferably 90% transmission of ultraviolet light therethrough, and a patterning layer (20) formed on a surface (18) of the transparent conductive layer (16).

Abstract: A vacuum microelectronic device (10,40) emits electrons (37) from surfaces of nanotube emitters (17, 18). Extracting electrons from the surface of each nanotube emitter (17) results is a small voltage variation between each emitter utilized in the device (10, 40). Consequently, the vacuum microelectronic device (10,40) has a more controllable turn-on voltage and a consistent current density from each nanotube emitter (17,18).

Abstract: A method of fabricating a field emission device cathode using electrophoretic deposition of carbon nanotubes in which a separate step of depositing a binder material onto a substrate, is performed prior to carbon nanotube particle deposition. First, a binder layer is deposited on a substrate from a solution containing a binder material. The substrate having the binder material deposited thereon is then transferred into a carbon nanotube suspension bath allowing for coating of the carbon nanotube particles onto the substrate. Thermal processing of the coating transforms the binder layer properties which provides for the adhesion of the carbon nanotube particles to the binder material.

Abstract: A field emission device (100) includes an electron emitter structure (105) having a deuteride layer (108), which defines a surface (109) of electron emitter structure (105). Deuteride layer (108) is disposed upon an electron emitter (106), which is made from a metal. Deuteride layer (108) is a deuteride of the metal from which electron emitter (106) is made. A method for conditioning field emission device (100) includes the step of providing a contaminated cathode structure (137), which has a contaminated emitter structure (138). The method further includes the step of causing deuterium to react with a metal oxide layer (140) of emitter structure (138), so that the deuterium replaces the oxygen of metal oxide layer (140).

Abstract: High quality epitaxial layers of monocrystalline materials can be grown overlying monocrystalline substrates such as large silicon wafers by forming a compliant substrate for growing the monocrystalline layers. An accommodating buffer layer comprises a layer of monocrystalline oxide spaced apart from a silicon wafer by an amorphous interface layer of silicon oxide. The amorphous interface layer dissipates strain and permits the growth of a high quality monocrystalline oxide accommodating buffer layer. The accommodating buffer layer is lattice matched to both the underlying silicon wafer and the overlying monocrystalline material layer. Any lattice mismatch between the accommodating buffer layer and the underlying silicon substrate is taken care of by the amorphous interface layer. A template layer, incorporating a wetting layer caps the accommodating buffer layer and initiates monocrystalline growth of the overlying layer.

Abstract: A field emission device and method of forming a field emission device are provided in accordance with the present invention. The field emission device is comprised of a substrate (12) having a deformation temperature that is less than about six hundred and fifty degrees Celsius and a nano-supported catalyst (22) formed on the substrate (12) that has active catalytic particles that are less than about five hundred nanometers. The field emission device is also comprised of a nanotube (24) that is catalytically formed in situ on the nano-supported catalyst (22), which has a diameter that is less than about twenty nanometers.

Abstract: A vacuum microelectronic device (10,40) emits electrons (37) from surfaces of nanotube emitters (17, 18). Extracting electrons from the surface of each nanotube emitter (17) results is a small voltage variation between each emitter utilized in the device (10, 40). Consequently, the vacuum microelectronic device (10,40) has a more controllable turn-on voltage and a consistent current density from each nanotube emitter (17,18).

Abstract: Semiconductor structures are provided with high quality epitaxial layers of monocrystalline materials grown overlying monocrystalline substrates such as large silicon wafers by forming a compliant substrate for growing the monocrystalline layers. An accommodating buffer layer comprises a layer of monocrystalline oxide spaced apart from a silicon wafer by an amorphous interface layer of silicon oxide. The accommodating buffer layer is lattice matched to both the underlying silicon wafer and an overlying monocrystalline material layer. With laser assisted fabrication, a laser energy source is used to preclean the accommodating buffer layer, to excite the accommodating buffer layer to higher energy to promote two-dimensional growth, and to amorphize the accommodating buffer layer, without requiring transport of the semiconductor structure from one environment to another.

Abstract: A method for scrubbing and passivating an anode plate (100) of a field emission display (120) includes the steps of providing a scrubbing passivation material (127); imparting to scrubbing passivation material (127) an energy selected to cause removal of a contamination layer (123, 117) from anode plate (100); causing scrubbing passivation material (127) to be received by contamination layer (123, 117), thereby removing contamination layer (123, 117); and depositing at least a portion of scrubbing passivation material (127) on anode plate (100), thereby forming a passivation layer (129).

Abstract: A field emission device (100) includes an electron emitter (115) and an emitter-enhancing electrode (117) having an enhanced-emission structure (131), which is disposed proximate to electron emitter (115). Enhanced-emission structure (131) is embodied by, for example, each of the following structures: a tapered portion (118) of emitter-enhancing electrode (117), an electron-emissive edge (135) that is generally parallel to an axis (136) of electron emitter (115), a combination of a conductive layer (137) and an electron-emissive layer (138) that is disposed proximate to an edge (133) of conductive layer (137), and an electron-emissive layer (146) having a thickness of less than about 500 angstroms.

Abstract: A field emission device (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) includes a substrate (110, 210, 310, 410, 510), a cathode (115, 215, 315, 415, 515) formed thereon, a plurality of electron emitters (170, 270, 370, 470, 570) and a plurality of gate electrodes (150, 250, 350, 450, 550) proximately disposed to the plurality of electron emitters (170, 270, 370, 470, 570) for effecting electron emission therefrom, a dielectric layer (140, 240, 340, 440, 540) having a major surface (143, 243, 343, 443, 543), a surface passivation layer (190, 290, 390, 490, 590) formed on the major surface (143, 243, 343, 443, 543), and an anode (180, 280, 380, 480, 580) spaced from the gate electrodes (250, 350, 450, 550).

Abstract: A method for operating a field emission device (100) having an electron emitter (115) includes the steps of providing an emitter-enhancing electrode (117) proximate to electron emitter (115), causing emitter-enhancing electrode (117) to emit electrons, and causing the electrons emitted by emitter-enhancing electrode (117) to be received by electron emitter (115). A method for fabricating a field emission device (100) includes the steps of forming a layer (126) of dielectric material, forming emitter-enhancing electrode (117) on layer (126) of dielectric material, forming an enhanced-emission structure (131) in emitter-enhancing electrode (117), removing a portion of layer (126) of dielectric material proximate to enhanced-emission structure (131) to form a well (114, 158), and forming electron emitter (115) within well (114, 158).

Abstract: A field emission display (100) includes an electron emitter structure (105) designed to emit an emission current (134), a phosphor (126) disposed to receive at an electron-receiving surface (127) emission current (134), and a multi-layered barrier structure (125) disposed on electron-receiving surface (127) of phosphor (126). Multi-layered barrier structure (125) of the preferred embodiment includes an aluminum layer (128) disposed on electron-receiving surface (127) of phosphor (126) and a carbon layer (129) disposed on aluminum layer (128).