Vakuummikro‐ und Vakuumnanoelektronik mit Feldemission

Vacuum microelectronics and nanoelectronics with field emission — features of breakdown voltage in vacuum gaps lower than 10 μm Further miniaturization in vacuum electronics will be possible only with field‐emitter cathodes. However in microscale vacuum gaps in the range 10 μm field emission is a dominant process in gas breakdown process, leading to signif icant deviations from the traditional Paschen's Law. At first a significant reduction of breakdown voltage is observed. The high surface‐to‐volume ratio in microscale dimensions 3 μm and in interactions with gas desorption, outgassing and gas ionization during electron field‐emission give a ignition and stabilization of micro plasmas (glow discharges) or/and micro arcs, which exist largely independent of surrounding vacuum, atmospheric or over pressure. In this range the Paschen's Law is invalid. This is an interesting approach which opens up new dimensions for basic research, field emission‐driven micro plasmas and for novel fieldemitter applications in vacuum electronics and plasma technology.