Influence of ion effects on field-emission-limited diodes

The influence of the anode plasma effects on field-emission-limiting current of a field-emission-limited diode (FELD) was investigated via the self-consistent approach. The field emission process is described quantum-mechanically by the Fowler-Nordheim equation and the space charge effects are described by Poisson's equation with the ion current as tuning parameter. The emergence of upstream ion current enhance the field-emission limiting current, and the surface electric fields of the FELD saturated at higher voltage regime due to space charge effects and it was not affected much by the ion effects.