FIELD-EMISSION DEVICE MODELING FOR APPLICATION TO FLAT PANEL DISPLAYS

A computer model has been developed for determining the electrical characteristics of field emission devices. Numerical techniques are employed to determine the electric field distribution and electron trajectories in the modeled device. Using the electron trajectories and emission current density determined from the Fowler-Nordheim equation, electrode currents are found. The current-voltage characteristics are constructed using superposition of electric field solutions. Simulation results are presented for a single vertical triode of a field emission flat panel display. The cathode tip has a radius of curvature of 20 nm and is centered in a 2 mum diam gate aperture. The anode is typically biased at 400 V and spaced 0.2 mm from the cathode. Simulation results indicate turn-on at 75 V and 0.1 muA emitted at a gate drive of 95 V. Gate current is negligible. Peak-to-peak gate drive for a 1000 line field emission display having 100:1 contrast ratio is found to be less than 50 V for such a structure.