2026-09-20T02:15:33Zhttps://dspace.mit.edu/server/oai/requestoai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/848632022-01-13T07:54:01Zcom_1721.1_7582com_1721.1_7581col_1721.1_131023
Akintunde I. Akinwande.
Patterson. Alex A. (Alex Andrew)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
2014-02-10T16:55:54Z
2014-02-10T16:55:54Z
2013
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/84863
868324112
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2013.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 141-151).
As field electron emitters shrink to nanoscale dimensions, the effects of quantum confinement of the electron supply and electric field enhancement at the emitter tip play a significant role in determining the emitted current density (ECD). Consequently, the Fowler-Nordheim (FN) equation, which primarily applies to field emission from the planar surface of a bulk metal may not be valid for nanoscale emitters. While much effort has focused on studying emitter tip electrostatics, not much attention has been paid to the consequences of a quantum-confined electron supply. This work builds an analytical framework from which ECD equations for quantum-confined emitters of various geometries and materials can be generated and the effects of quantum confinement of the electron supply on the ECD can be studied. ECD equations were derived for metal emitters from the elementary model and for silicon emitters via a more physically-complete version of the elementary model. In the absence of field enhancement at the emitter tip, decreasing an emitter's dimensions is found to decrease the total ECD. When the effects of field enhancement are incorporated, the ECD increases with decreasing transverse emitter dimensions until a critical dimension dpeak, below which the reduced electron supply becomes the limiting factor for emission and the ECD decreases. Based on the forms of the ECD equations, alternate analytical methods to Fowler-Nordheim plots are introduced for parameter extraction from experimental field emission data. Analysis shows that the FN equation and standard analysis procedures over-predict the ECD from quantum-confined emitters. As a result, the ECD equations and methods introduced in this thesis are intended to replace the Fowler-Nordheim equation and related analysis procedures when treating field emission from suitably small field electron emitters.
by Alex A. Patterson.
S.M.
183 pages
eng
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.I.T. theses are protected by
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http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
An analytical framework for field electron emission, incorporating quantum- confinement effects
Thesis
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<Abstract>As field electron emitters shrink to nanoscale dimensions, the effects of quantum confinement of the electron supply and electric field enhancement at the emitter tip play a significant role in determining the emitted current density (ECD). Consequently, the Fowler-Nordheim (FN) equation, which primarily applies to field emission from the planar surface of a bulk metal may not be valid for nanoscale emitters. While much effort has focused on studying emitter tip electrostatics, not much attention has been paid to the consequences of a quantum-confined electron supply. This work builds an analytical framework from which ECD equations for quantum-confined emitters of various geometries and materials can be generated and the effects of quantum confinement of the electron supply on the ECD can be studied. ECD equations were derived for metal emitters from the elementary model and for silicon emitters via a more physically-complete version of the elementary model. In the absence of field enhancement at the emitter tip, decreasing an emitter's dimensions is found to decrease the total ECD. When the effects of field enhancement are incorporated, the ECD increases with decreasing transverse emitter dimensions until a critical dimension dpeak, below which the reduced electron supply becomes the limiting factor for emission and the ECD decreases. Based on the forms of the ECD equations, alternate analytical methods to Fowler-Nordheim plots are introduced for parameter extraction from experimental field emission data. Analysis shows that the FN equation and standard analysis procedures over-predict the ECD from quantum-confined emitters. As a result, the ECD equations and methods introduced in this thesis are intended to replace the Fowler-Nordheim equation and related analysis procedures when treating field emission from suitably small field electron emitters.</Abstract>
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