Field emitter structure and fabrication process providing passageways for venting of outgassed materials from active electronic area

摘要

Outgassed materials liberated in spaces between pointed field emitter tips and an electrode structure during electrical operation of a field emitter device are vented through passageways to a pump or gettering material provided in a separate space. The passageways may include channels formed through an insulating layer between a base for the field emitters, and the electrode structure, with the channels interconnecting adjacent spaces in a row direction. Where the electrode structure includes a gate electrode layer and an anode layer, similar channels may be formed through an insulator layer provided therebetween. The field emitters may be formed in an arrangement of rows and columns, with the spacing between the columns smaller than the spacing between the rows. Holes are formed by anisotropic etching through the anode, gate electrode, and insulator layers down to the base. Subsequent isotropic etching of the insulator layers through the holes in the anode and gate electrode layers is controlled to cause sufficient undercutting in the insulator layers that adjacent holes merge together only in the row direction to form the channels.