Emitter and device including same

Abstract

This emitter comprises: an insulator; a pair of conductive terminals attached to the insulator and spaced apart from each other; a heater that is arranged between the tip sections of the pair of insulator terminals and emits heat as a result of being energized; an electron source formed from a first material that is heated by the heater and releases electrons; a Wehnelt electrode that has an inner surface forming an interior space together with the surface of the insulator, and that serves to apply bias voltage between said Wehnelt electrode and the electron source; and a shielding member covering part of the surface of the insulator within the interior space.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an emitter that emits electrons and a device including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Emitters that emit electrons are used in, for example, electron microscopes and semiconductor inspection devices. The emitter includes an electron source and a heater that heats the electron source, and an emission current is obtained by heating the electron source by energizing the heater. Patent Document 1 discloses a thermionic cathode device that includes an emitter tip, a heat-generating holder that holds the emitter tip, and a conductive member that supports the heat-generating holder and supplies a current thereto, the heat-generating holder being made of a pyrolytic graphite material. According to lines 2-14 in the right column on page 1 and FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1, when the emitter tip 11 is heated, electrons are emitted from the opening 12 of the Wehnelt cylinder 13. By controlling the voltage applied between the Wehnelt cylinder 13 and the emitter tip 11, the flow of electrons from the emitter tip 11 is aligned. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 47-25911 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When electricity is applied to the heater, the heater and the electron source may be heated to 1600 to 1900K. Under high temperature conditions, the material constituting the heater and / or the electron source may evaporate to produce an evaporant. When the evaporant cools and solidifies on the surface of the insulator, for example, the insulation of the insulator surface decreases, and an unintended current occurs. This current causes a problem that the reliability of the emission current is impaired.

[0005] The present disclosure provides an emitter capable of maintaining the reliability of emission current for a sufficiently long period of time, and a device including the emitter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an emitter, the emitter including an insulator, a pair of conductive terminals attached to the insulator and spaced apart from each other, a heater disposed between tips of the pair of conductive terminals and generating heat when current is applied, an electron source made of a first material that emits electrons when heated by the heater, a Wehnelt electrode having an inner surface that forms an internal space together with a surface of the insulator and for applying a bias voltage between the electron source, and a shielding member that covers a part of the surface of the insulator within the internal space.

[0007] The shielding member preferably plays a role in preventing a conductive layer from being continuously formed between the conductive terminal and the Wehnelt electrode due to solidification of an evaporant generated in the internal space by heat generation of the heater on the surface of the insulator. Since a relatively large voltage (e.g., 15 to 1000 V) is applied between the conductive terminal and the Wehnelt electrode, it is preferable that the insulation between the conductive terminal and the Wehnelt electrode is maintained at a high level. On the other hand, since the voltage applied between the pair of conductive terminals is, for example, about 1 to 10 V, the insulation required between the pair of conductive terminals is not high compared to the insulation required between the conductive terminal and the Wehnelt electrode.

[0008] The shielding member is preferably spaced apart from the inner surface of the Wehnelt electrode. For example, the shielding member is preferably arranged so as to cover at least a region of the surface of the insulator that is along the inner surface of the Wehnelt electrode. The shielding member may be spaced apart from the pair of conductive terminals. For example, the shielding member may be arranged so as to cover at least two regions of the surface of the insulator that are along the pair of conductive terminals, respectively.

[0009] The emitter may further include an intermediate member made of a second material having a lower thermal conductivity than the first material, and the tip of the pair of conductive terminals may hold the electron source via the intermediate member. By disposing an intermediate member (second material) having a lower thermal conductivity than the electron source (first material) between the electron source and the heater, it is possible to operate the heater at a higher temperature than when no intermediate member is provided. This makes it possible to suppress deposition of the material constituting the electron source in the vicinity of the heater, and suppress the resulting deterioration in the performance of the emitter. This is based on the concept of preventing efficient heating of the electron source by the heater to some extent, while suppressing deposition of the material constituting the electron source in the vicinity of the heater (for example, the tip of the conductive terminal) by utilizing the excessive heat of the heater. By combining this concept with the concept of maintaining the insulation of the insulator surface by the shielding member, it is possible to maintain excellent reliability of the emission current for a longer period of time.

[0010] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an apparatus including the emitter. Examples of the apparatus including the emitter include an electron microscope, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, an inspection apparatus, and a processing apparatus. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present disclosure, there is provided an emitter capable of maintaining the reliability of emission current for a sufficiently long period of time, and a device including the emitter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an emitter according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top view diagrammatically illustrating a state in which the Wehnelt electrode is removed from the emitter shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3(a) is a perspective view showing a schematic diagram of an example of a shielding member, and FIG. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line bb shown in FIG. 3(a). [Figure 4]FIG. 4(a) is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an electron source and the like arranged between the tips of a pair of conductive terminals, and FIG. 4(b) is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the configuration shown in FIG. 4(a). [Diagram 5] 5(a) to 5(c) are cross-sectional views that typically show the process of manufacturing the emitter shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the emitter shown in FIG. 1 after it has been used for a long period of time, and FIG. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the state of an emitter not provided with a shielding member after it has been used for a long period of time. [Figure 7] FIG. 7(a) is a top view showing a schematic diagram of an emitter including a shielding member according to another example, and FIG. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view of the shielding member shown in FIG. 7(a). [Figure 8] FIG. 8(a) is a top view showing a schematic diagram of an emitter including a shielding member according to another example, and FIG. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view of the shielding member shown in FIG. 8(a). [Figure 9] FIG. 9(a) is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of another configuration including an electron source arranged between the tips of a pair of conductive terminals, and FIG. 9(b) is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the configuration shown in FIG. 9(a). [Figure 10] FIG. 10(a) is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of another configuration including an electron source arranged between the tips of a pair of conductive terminals, and FIG. 10(b) is a top view of the configuration shown in FIG. 10(a). [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic diagram of another embodiment of an emitter according to the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 12(a) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of another configuration including an electron source arranged between the tips of a pair of conductive terminals, and FIG. 12(b) is a transverse cross-sectional view of the configuration shown in FIG. 12(a). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same elements or elements having the same functions will be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0014] <emitter> FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of an emitter according to the present embodiment. The emitter 10 shown in this figure includes an electron source 1, intermediate members 2a and 2b, a pair of heaters 5a and 5b, a pair of conductive terminals 6a and 6b, an insulator 7, a shielding member 8, and a Wehnelt electrode 9. The heaters 5a and 5b generate heat when current is applied, thereby heating the electron source 1, and electrons emitted from the electron source 1 are emitted from an opening 9a of the Wehnelt electrode 9. The tip of the electron source 1 is located at a position that does not protrude from the opening 9a. The Wehnelt electrode 9 is an electrode disposed between the electron source 1 (cathode) and an anode (not shown), and is configured to apply a negative bias voltage to the electron source 1, and plays a role in controlling the amount of electron emission. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress excess electrons from the side surface of the electron source 1 and to use only electrons from the tip of the electron source 1. The Wehnelt electrode 9 includes a cylindrical portion 9b and a closing portion 9c closing one end of the cylindrical portion 9b, and an opening 9a is formed in the center of the closing portion 9c. An inner surface 9d of the Wehnelt electrode 9 defines an internal space S together with a surface 7a of the insulator 7. To heat the electron source 1, a voltage of, for example, about 1 to 10 V is applied between the pair of conductive terminals 6a, 6b, and a current of about 0.5 to 3 A flows. Examples of devices that include the emitter 10 include electron microscopes, semiconductor manufacturing devices, inspection devices, and processing devices.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a top view diagrammatically illustrating a state in which the Wehnelt electrode 9 is removed from the emitter 10 illustrated in FIG. 1. The dashed-dotted circle in FIG. 2 indicates the position of the inner surface 9d of the Wehnelt electrode 9. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a shielding member 8 is disposed on the surface 7a of the insulator 7. The shielding member 8 serves to suppress the continuous formation of a conductive layer Lc (a deposition layer having conductivity) between the conductive terminals 6a, 6b and the Wehnelt electrode 9, which is caused by the evaporation generated in the internal space S due to the heat generated by the heaters 5a, 5b being solidified on the surface 7a of the insulator 7 (see FIG. 6(a)). Since a voltage of, for example, 15 to 1000 V is applied between the conductive terminals 6a, 6b and the Wehnelt electrode 9, it is preferable that the insulation between the conductive terminals 6a, 6b and the Wehnelt electrode 9 is maintained at a high level.

[0016] As shown in Figs. 3(a) and 3(b), the shielding member 8 according to this embodiment is composed of a raised portion 8a that abuts against the surface 7a of the insulator 7, and a protruding portion 8b having a surface 8s exposed to the internal space S. The raised portion 8a is rectangular in cross section. The length of one side is, for example, about 4 to 10 mm. The thickness of the raised portion 8a is, for example, 0.5 to 2 mm. In a plan view, the protruding portion 8b is provided so as to protrude laterally beyond the raised portion 8a, and is circular in cross section. The diameter of the protruding portion is, for example, about 8 to 20 mm.

[0017] The shielding member 8 is made of an insulating material (e.g., ceramics). From the viewpoint of workability, the material of the shielding member 8 is preferably a free-cutting ceramic. The raised portion 8a and the protruding portion 8b may be integrally formed, or may be separable from each other. The shielding member 8 has a hole 8c for fixing the shielding member 8 to the insulator 7 with a bolt 14, and holes 8d and 8e into which the conductive terminals 6a and 6b are inserted. The bolt hole 8c is provided so as to penetrate the center of the shielding member 8, and the holes 8d and 8e are provided at positions on either side of the hole 8c.

[0018] Fig. 4(a) is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the electron source 1 and the like housed in the internal space S, and Fig. 4(b) is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the configuration shown in Fig. 4(a). As shown in these figures, the electron source 1 is disposed between the tips of the conductive terminals 6a and 6b. The conductive terminals 6a and 6b are used to hold the electron source 1 and the like and to energize the heaters 5a and 5b. The electron source 1 is sandwiched between the intermediate members 2a and 2b. The heaters 5a and 5b are disposed outside the intermediate members 2a and 2b. The tip of the conductive terminal 6a is in contact with the heater 5a, and the tip of the conductive terminal 6b is in contact with the heater 5b.

[0019] The electron source 1 is made of a first material (electron emission material) having electron emission properties. The tip 1a of the electron source 1 is formed into a cone shape, and electrons are emitted from the tip. In this embodiment, the side surfaces 1b and 1c of the electron source 1 are exposed to the internal space S.

[0020] In this embodiment, the shape of the electron source 1 other than the tip 1a is a quadrangular prism. The length of the electron source 1 is, for example, 0.1 to 2 mm, and may be 0.2 to 1.5 mm or 0.2 to 1 mm. A length of 0.1 mm or more tends to improve handling, and a length of 2 mm or less tends to provide uniform heating. The cross-sectional shape of the quadrangular prism part of the electron source 1 is approximately square. The length of the side is, for example, 0.02 to 1 mm, and may be 0.05 to 0.5 mm or 0.05 to 0.15 mm.

[0021] Examples of electron emitting materials include rare earth borides such as lanthanum boride (LaB6) and cerium boride (CeB6); high melting point metals such as tungsten, tantalum, and hafnium, as well as their oxides, carbides, and nitrides; and precious metal-rare earth alloys such as iridium cerium.

[0022] From the viewpoints of electron emission characteristics, strength, and workability, the electron emission material constituting the electron source 1 is preferably a rare earth boride. When the electron source 1 is made of a rare earth boride, the electron source 1 is likely to emit electrons. <100> It is preferable that the electron source 1 is a single crystal processed so that its orientation coincides with the electron emission direction. The electron source 1 can be formed into a desired shape by electric discharge machining or the like. The side surface of the electron source 1 is preferably a (100) crystal plane, since it is believed that this slows down the evaporation rate.

[0023] The material constituting the electron source 1 has higher thermal conductivity than the material constituting the intermediate members 2a and 2b. The thermal conductivity of the material constituting the electron source 1 is preferably 5 W / m·K or more, and more preferably 10 W / m·K or more. When the thermal conductivity of this material is 5 W / m·K or more, the entire electron source 1 tends to be heated sufficiently uniformly by the heat from the heaters 5a and 5b. The upper limit of the thermal conductivity of this material is, for example, 200 W / m·K. The thermal conductivities of several materials are shown below. Lanthanum boride (LaB6): 60W / m K Tungsten: 177W / mK

[0024] Thermal conductivity value T of electron source 1 E is the thermal conductivity value T of the intermediate members 2a and 2b. I It is preferable that the thermal conductivity value T I The thermal conductivity value T of electron source 1 E The ratio (T E / T I ) is, for example, 7 to 13, and may be 8 to 12 or 10 to 11. When this ratio is within these ranges, the temperature of the heaters 5a and 5b during energization can be appropriately increased. The temperature of the heaters 5a and 5b during energization can be, for example, 150 to 250° C. higher than the temperature of the electron source 1. This can prevent the material constituting the electron source 1 from being evaporated in the vicinity of the heaters 5a and 5b.

[0025] The intermediate members 2a and 2b are disposed so as to contact a pair of surfaces 1d and 1e of the electron source 1 and cover these surfaces (see FIG. 4(b)). It is preferable that the length of the shortest path of the intermediate members taken from the heater to the electron source is 100 μm or more. That is, in this embodiment, the thickness of the intermediate member 2a (the distance between the electron source 1 and the heater 5a) is preferably 100 μm or more, and may be 100 to 1000 μm or 300 to 800 μm.

[0026] The intermediate members 2a and 2b are made of a material (second material) having a lower thermal conductivity than the material constituting the electron source 1. The thermal conductivity of the material constituting the intermediate members 2a and 2b is, for example, 100 W / m·K or less, preferably 1 to 100 W / m·K, and more preferably 1 to 60 W / m·K. The lower limit of this value may be 2 W / m·K or 3 W / m·K. The upper limit of this value may be 45 W / m·K or 40 W / m·K. When the thermal conductivity of this material is 1 W / m·K or more, heat from the heaters 5a and 5b tends to be sufficiently transmitted to the electron source 1, while when the thermal conductivity is 100 W / m·K or less, a sufficient temperature difference tends to be generated between the heaters 5a and 5b and the electron source 1.

[0027] The material constituting the intermediate members 2a and 2b preferably contains a high melting point metal or its carbide, and preferably contains at least one of metallic tantalum, metallic titanium, metallic zirconium, metallic tungsten, metallic molybdenum, metallic rhenium, tantalum carbide, titanium carbide, and zirconium carbide. This material may also contain at least one of boron carbide and graphite (carbon material), or at least one of niobium, hafnium, and vanadium. As this material, glassy carbon (for example, Glassy Carbon (product name, manufactured by Rayho Manufacturing Co., Ltd.)) may be used. As this material, boron nitride may be used. The thermal conductivity of several materials is shown below. Metallic rhenium: 48W / mK Boron carbide: 35W / m K Graphite: 80~250W / mK Glassy carbon: 5.8 W / m K

[0028] The material constituting the intermediate members 2a, 2b is conductive. From the viewpoint of suppressing excessive heat generation of the intermediate members 2a, 2b due to energization, it is preferable that the material constituting the intermediate members 2a, 2b has a lower electrical resistivity than the material constituting the heaters 5a, 5b. The electrical resistivity of the material constituting the intermediate members 2a, 2b is preferably 300 μΩ·m or less, more preferably 100 μΩ·m or less. When the electrical resistivity of this material is 300 μΩ·m or less, it tends to be possible to suppress excessive heat generation of the intermediate members 2a, 2b due to energization. The lower limit of the electrical resistivity of this material is, for example, 0.1 μΩ·m, and may be 0.3 μΩ·m or 1.0 μΩ·m. The electrical resistivities of several materials are shown below. Metallic rhenium: 0.2μΩ·m Graphite: 5~15μΩ·m Glassy carbon: 42μΩ·m

[0029] The heaters 5a and 5b are made of a material having high electrical resistivity and generate heat when electricity is applied. The electrical resistivity of the material constituting the heaters 5a and 5b is preferably 500 to 1000 μΩ·m, more preferably 600 to 900 μΩ·m. When the electrical resistivity of this material is 500 μΩ·m or more, the electron source 1 tends to be sufficiently heated when electricity is applied, while when the electrical resistivity is 1000 μΩ·m or less, electricity tends to be sufficiently applied. Examples of materials constituting the heaters 5a and 5b include pyrolytic graphite and hot-pressed carbon. The electrical resistivity (representative value) of pyrolytic graphite is 800 μΩ·m.

[0030] The electrical resistivity value R of the heaters 5a and 5b H is the electrical resistivity value R of the intermediate members 2a and 2b. I The electrical resistivity value R of the intermediate members 2a and 2b is preferably sufficiently larger than I The electrical resistivity value R of the heaters 5a and 5b H Ratio (R H / R I) is, for example, 12 to 20, and may be 13 to 19 or 14 to 18. When this ratio is 12 or more, the temperature of the heaters 5a and 5b during energization can be sufficiently increased, and deposition of the material constituting the electron source 1 in the vicinity of the heaters 5a and 5b tends to be suppressed. On the other hand, when this ratio is 20 or less, loss of power for heating the heaters 5a and 5b tends to be reduced.

[0031] The emitter 10 can be manufactured through the following steps. First, the conductive terminals 6a, 6b are fixed to the holes 7b, 7c of the insulator 7 by, for example, brazing (FIG. 5(a)). Next, the shielding member 8 is fixed to the insulator 7 with the bolts 14 while the conductive terminals 6a, 6b are passed through the holes 8d, 8e of the insulator 7 (FIG. 5(b)). Then, the conductive terminals 6a, 6b are bent so that the tips of the conductive terminals 6a, 6b approach each other (FIG. 5(c)). After that, the electron source 1, the intermediate members 2a, 2b, and the heaters 5a, 5b are arranged between the tips of the conductive terminals 6a, 6b. After adjusting the position of the electron source 1, the emitter 10 shown in FIG. 1 is obtained through a step of attaching the Wehnelt electrode 9.

[0032] According to the above embodiment, the reliability of the emission current of the emitter 10 can be maintained for a sufficiently long period of time. That is, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the shielding member 8 is arranged so as to cover a part of the surface 7a of the insulator 7 (particularly, the annular region R1 along the inner surface 9d of the Wehnelt electrode 9), so that even if the emitter 10 is used for a long period of time, the conductive layer Lc can be sufficiently prevented from being continuously formed between the conductive terminals 6a, 6b and the Wehnelt electrode 9. Therefore, the insulation between the conductive terminals 6a, 6b and the Wehnelt electrode 9 can be maintained at a high level. On the other hand, in the emitter 100 in FIG. 6(b) in which the shielding member 8 is not provided, the conductive layer Lc is continuously formed between the conductive terminals 6a, 6b and the Wehnelt electrode 9, so that the insulation between the conductive terminals 6a, 6b and the Wehnelt electrode 9 can be deteriorated when the emitter 100 is used for a long period of time.

[0033] Although the embodiment of the present disclosure has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the shielding member may be in the following form. The emitter 20 shown in FIG. 7(a) includes an annular shielding member 18. The shielding member 18 selectively covers an annular region R1 along the inner surface 9d of the Wehnelt electrode 9 on the surface 7a of the insulator 7. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the shielding member 18 is composed of a raised portion 18a that contacts the surface 7a of the insulator 7 and a protruding portion 18b having a surface 18s exposed to the internal space S. The thickness of the raised portion 18a is, for example, 0.5 to 2 mm. In a plan view, the protruding portion 18b is provided so as to protrude laterally beyond the raised portion 18a. A groove (not shown) may be provided in the insulator 7, and the shielding member 18 may be fitted into the groove, or the shielding member 18 may be fixed to the insulator 7 by brazing.

[0034] The emitter 30 shown in FIG. 8(a) includes a pair of shielding members 28, 29. The pair of shielding members 28, 29 are both annular and selectively cover two annular regions Ra, Rb along the outer surfaces of the conductive terminals 6a, 6b, respectively, on the surface 7a of the insulator 7. The shielding member 28 is configured by a raised portion 28a that contacts the surface 7a of the insulator 7 and a protruding portion 28b having a surface 28s exposed to the internal space S. The thickness of the raised portion 28a is, for example, 0.5 to 2 mm. In a plan view, the protruding portion 28b is provided so as to protrude laterally beyond the raised portion 28a. The configuration of the shielding member 29 may be the same as that of the shielding member 28. A plurality of holes (not shown) may be provided in the insulator 7, and the shielding members 28, 29 may be fitted into these holes, respectively, or the shielding members 28, 29 may be fitted and fixed to the conductive terminals 6a, 6b.

[0035] In the above embodiment, the electron source 1 is sandwiched between the intermediate members 2a and 2b, but the following embodiment may be used. Fig. 9(a) and Fig. 9(b) are diagrams showing a first modified example. In the electron source 1 according to this modified example, the four side faces of the columnar part are covered with the intermediate member 2. By covering the four side faces of the columnar part of the electron source 1 with the intermediate member 2, it is possible to suppress the diffusion of the evaporated material of the electron source and to uniformly heat the electron source 1. The material of the intermediate member 2 may be the same as that of the intermediate members 2a and 2b according to the above embodiment.

[0036] 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams showing a second modified example. The intermediate member 3 according to this modified example is composed of a columnar portion 3a and a conical portion 3b. An opening 4 is provided at the tip of the conical portion 3b, and the electron source 1 is inserted into the opening 4. In this modified example, the shape of the electron source 1 is a quadrangular column. The length of the electron source 1 is, for example, 0.1 to 1 mm, and may be 0.2 to 0.6 mm or 0.3 mm. A length of 0.1 mm or more tends to improve handling, and a length of 1 mm or less tends to reduce the likelihood of cracks or the like. The cross-sectional shape of the electron source 1 is approximately square. The length of the side is, for example, 20 to 300 μm, and may be 50 to 150 μm or 100 μm. The shape of the columnar portion 3a of the intermediate member 3 is a quadrangular column. The cross-sectional shape of the columnar portion 3a is approximately square. The length of the side is, for example, 0.5 to 2 mm, and may be 0.6 to 1 mm, or 0.7 to 0.9 mm. The surfaces of the electron source 1 other than the electron emission surface are covered with the intermediate member 3, thereby suppressing the emission of electrons from the surfaces other than the electron emission surface. The material of the intermediate member 3 may be the same as the material of the intermediate members 2a and 2b according to the above embodiment.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 10(a) and Fig. 10(b), in the case where the electron source 1 is embedded in the intermediate member 3 and the surfaces of the electron source 1 other than the electron emission surface are covered by the intermediate member 3, the tip of the electron source 1 may protrude from the opening 9a as shown in Fig. 11. In this case, the amount of electrons emitted from the electron source 1 can be increased by applying a positive bias voltage to the electron source 1. Meanwhile, since the electron source 1 is embedded in the intermediate member 3, it is possible to suppress the emission of excess electrons from the side surface of the electron source 1. In this case, too, the voltage applied between the pair of conductive terminals 6a, 6b to heat the electron source 1 is, for example, about 1 to 10 V, and the voltage applied between the conductive terminals 6a, 6b and the Wehnelt electrode 9 is, for example, 15 to 1000 V.

[0038] 12(a) and 12(b) are diagrams showing a third modified example, in which the intermediate members 2a and 2b are not provided, and the electron source 1 is directly sandwiched between the heaters 5a and 5b.

[0039] The present disclosure includes the following inventions. [1] Insulators and a pair of conductive terminals attached to the insulator and spaced apart from one another; a heater disposed between the tip ends of the pair of conductive terminals and generating heat when energized; an electron source made of a first material that emits electrons when heated by the heater; a Wehnelt electrode having an inner surface which defines an internal space together with a surface of the insulator, and for applying a bias voltage between the Wehnelt electrode and the electron source; a shielding member that covers a portion of the surface of the insulator within the internal space; An emitter comprising: [2] The emitter described in [1], wherein the shielding member suppresses continuous formation of a conductive layer between the pair of conductive terminals and the Wehnelt electrode due to solidification of evaporants generated in the internal space by heat generation by the heater on the surface of the insulator. [3] The emitter according to [1] or [2], wherein the shielding member is spaced apart from the inner surface of the Wehnelt electrode. [4] The emitter according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the shielding member is spaced apart from the pair of conductive terminals. [5] The emitter according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the shielding member is arranged so as to cover at least a region of the surface of the insulator that is aligned with the inner surface of the Wehnelt electrode. [6] An emitter described in any one of [1] to [5], wherein the shielding member is arranged so as to cover at least two areas of the surface of the insulator that are aligned with each of the pair of conductive terminals. [7] Further comprising an intermediate member made of a second material having a lower thermal conductivity than the first material; The emitter according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the tip portions of the pair of conductive terminals hold the electron source via the intermediate member. [8] A device comprising the emitter described in any one of [1] to [7]. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1...electron source, 2, 2a, 2b, 3...intermediate member, 5a, 5b...heater, 6a, 6b...conductive terminal, 7...insulator, 8, 18, 28, 29...shielding member, 9...Wehnelt electrode, 10, 20, 30...emitter, R1, Ra, Rb...region.

Claims

1. Insulators and a pair of conductive terminals attached to the insulator and spaced apart from one another; a heater disposed between the tip ends of the pair of conductive terminals and generating heat when energized; an electron source made of a first material that emits electrons when heated by the heater; a Wehnelt electrode having an inner surface which defines an internal space together with a surface of the insulator, and for applying a bias voltage between the Wehnelt electrode and the electron source; a shielding member that covers a portion of the surface of the insulator within the internal space; Equipped with The shielding member is an emitter spaced apart from the inner surface of the Wehnelt electrode and from the pair of conductive terminals.

2. 2. The emitter according to claim 1, wherein the shielding member suppresses continuous formation of a conductive layer between the pair of conductive terminals and the Wehnelt electrode due to solidification of an evaporant generated in the internal space by heat generation by the heater on the surface of the insulator.

3. The emitter according to claim 1 , wherein the shielding member is disposed so as to cover at least a region of the surface of the insulator that is along the inner surface of the Wehnelt electrode.

4. The emitter according to claim 1 , wherein the shielding member is disposed so as to cover at least two regions of the surface of the insulator that are aligned along the pair of conductive terminals, respectively.

5. An intermediate member made of a second material having a lower thermal conductivity than the first material, The emitter according to claim 1 , wherein the tip portions of the pair of conductive terminals grip the electron source via the intermediate member.

6. A device comprising an emitter according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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