Abstract: A cathodoluminescent mosaic screen on a light-transparent substrate wherein the light-emitting components of the screen are implemented as light-guiding single-crystalline columns. A method for preparation of the screen by vapor deposition of the luminescent material onto the substrate coated by a localized liquid phase has been proposed.

Abstract: New designs of electron devices such as scanning probes and field emitters based on tip structures are proposed. The tips are prepared from whiskers that are grown from the vapor phase by the vapor-liquid-solid technology. Some new designs for preparation of field-emitters and of probes for magnetic, electrostatic, morphological, etc, investigations based on the specific technology are proposed. New designs for preparation of multilever probes are proposed, too.

Abstract: An electron source is proposed where a field emitter is formed by a whisker grown epitaxially on a substrate. A ballast resistor and an active area are placed in the body and/or on the surface of the field matter. The ballast resister can be realized as a barrier in the shape of n?n+, p?p+, p?n semiconductor junctions or insulation layer that crosses the charge carrier flow. Components for controlling such electron sources are arranged vertically. This allows to decrease significantly the area taken by the components, and, in such a way, to increase the resolving power of devices and expand fields of their applications. In so doing, owing to whisker-grown field emitters it is possible to control the emission currents by low voltages at strong electric fields.

Abstract: AFM/STM probes are based on whiskers grown by the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. Silicon cantilevers oriented along the crystallographic plane (111) are prepared from silicon-on-insulator structures that contain a thin layer (111) on a (100) substrate with SiO2 interposed layer. At removal of solidified alloy globules inherent in the growth mechanism sharpening of the whiskers takes place and, in such a way, the probes are formed. Cross-sections of the wiskers grown by the mechanism on the cantilevers can be controllably changed during the growth process so that step-shaped whiskers optimal for fabrication of the probes can be prepared. Also, whiskers with expansions/contractions can be formed that are important for fabrication of probes suitable for investigations in coarse surfaces, complicated cavitites, grooves typical for semiconductor microelectronics, etc.

Abstract: A method for growing of oriented whisker arrays on a single-crystalline substrate consists in vapor-phase transport of the material to be crystallized from a solid-state source body of the same composition as the whiskers to the substrate coated with liquid-phase particles that serve as nucleation/catalyzing centers for the whisker growth. The source body has a plane surface that is faced to the substrate and parallel to it so that a vectorly-uniformn temperature field, whose gradient is perpendicular to both the substrate and the source, is created. The vectorly-uniform temperature field is realized by an apparatus with high-frequency heating of specially designed bodies that are arranged in a special position in respect to the high-frequency inductor. Laser and/or lamp heat sources can be also used either separately or in combinations with the high-frequency heater. In the apparatus, the material source is heated, while the substrate takes. heat from the material source.

Abstract: A method for growing of oriented whisker arrays on a single-crystalline substrate consists in vapor-phase transport of the material to be crystallized form a solid-state source body of the same composition as the whiskers to the substrate coated with liquid-phase particles that serve as nucleation/catalyzing centers for the whisker growth. The source body has a plane surface that is faced to the substrate and parallel to it so that a vectorly-uniform temperature field, whose gradient is perpendicular to both the substrate and the source, is created. The vectorly-uniform temperature field is realized by an apparatus with high-frequency heating of specially designed bodies that are arranged in a special position in respect to the high-frequency inductor. Laser and/or lamp heat sources can be also used either separately or in combinations with the high-frequency heater. In the apparatus, the material source is heated, while the substrate takes heat from the material source.

Abstract: A matrix field-emission cathode (5) comprises a monocrystalline silicon substrate (7) on which are arranged epitaxially grown pointed silicon emitters (1) which also act as ballast resistors connected in series to the emitters. In an advantageous embodiment of the proposed cathode, for a radius of curvature (r) at the emitter tip not exceeding 10 nm, the ratio of the height (h) of the emitter to the radius (r) is not less than 1000, while the ratio of height (h) to the diameter (D) at the emitter base is not less than 1. The angle .alpha. at the emitter tip does not exceed 30.degree.. The specific resistance of the emitter material is chosen so as to ensure that the resistance of each emitter will be comparable with the resistance between the cathode and the opposing electrode.