Fabrication of Coaxis-Gated ZnO Nanowire Field-Emitter Arrays With In-Plane Focusing Gate Electrode Structure

Addressable nanowire field-emitter arrays (FEAs) show potential for application in vacuum microelectronic devices, and a focusing structure is essential for modulation of the electron beam in FEAs. However, because of the complicated device structure induced by the focusing structure, nanowire integration in such a device is very difficult. To address this issue, a coaxis-gated ZnO nanowire FEA structure with an in-plane focusing gate electrode is proposed. The focusing gate electrode is located in the same plane as the cathode and control gate, and the addressing function is realized using a via structure. The coaxis-gated ZnO nanowire FEAs were fabricated using a four-mask microfabrication process, thus requiring one mask less than traditional focused FEAs. The characteristics of the fabricated ZnO nanowire FEAs were studied, and their addressing and focusing abilities were verified.