Micro-nano fabrication of self-aligned silicon electron field emitter arrays using pulsed KrF laser irradiation

Abstract

Self-aligned silicon micro-nano structured electron field emitter arrays were fabricated using pulsed krypton fluoride (KrF) excimer laser crystallization (ELC) of hydrogenated amorphous thin silicon films (a-Si:H) on metal coated backplane samples. We investigate the effect of laser processing parameters on the growth of micro-nano conical structures on the surface of the thin silicon films. Randomly oriented conical structures as high as 1 µm were fabricated using laser pulse frequency of 100 Hz and sample stage scanning speed of 0.25 mm/sec. Best field emission (FE) results were measured from samples with the highest surface features with FE currents in the order of 10−6 A and low turn-on emission threshold of ∼14 V/µm. Light emission from the prototype demonstrators was tested using bespoke driver electronics and planar anodes coated with indium tin-oxide (ITO) and medium voltage FE phosphors, to exemplify their usage for future flat panel display technologies.