Nanofabrication with lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) for nanoscale vacuum electronics

We present the first nano- and microfabrication of vacuum microelectronic components incorporating lanthanum hexaboride (LaB
₆
), a refractory low work function material with high electron emissivity. We design novel fabrication processes which yield ultra-low fill factor (<;10%) nanoscale grids of 50 nm width on LaB
₆
electrodes and nanoscale LaB
₆
tips over ~mm
²
scales. Finally, we briefly discuss future applications in which such nanostructures will be applicable and ongoing R&D challenges with nanoscale grids.