Electron source and manufacturing method thereof, emitter and device including same

Abstract

To provide a method for manufacturing an electron source useful for efficiently manufacturing a fine electron source.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing an electron source according to the present disclosure includes steps of: (A) preparing a first member provided with a columnar portion made of a first material having an electron emission characteristic, (B) preparing a second member which has a higher work function and a lower strength than the first material, and in which a hole is formed extending in a direction from one end surface toward the other end surface, and (C) pushing the columnar portion into the hole in the second member, wherein the first member has a cross-sectional shape that is dissimilar to the cross-sectional shape of the hole; and in the step (C), by pressing the columnar portion into the hole, a portion of a side surface of the columnar portion scrapes the inner surface of the hole and bites into the second member, thereby fixing the columnar portion to the second member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electron source and a method for manufacturing the same, as well as an emitter and an apparatus including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Emitters equipped with electron sources are used in, for example, electron microscopes and semiconductor inspection devices. The emitter disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a first member having electron emission properties and a second member covering the first member, and a groove of a predetermined size is provided between the first member and the second member. The electron gun disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes an electron gun cathode and a holder that holds the electron gun cathode, and the electron gun cathode has a rectangular flat surface at its tip, and the tip is exposed and protrudes from the holder (see FIG. 6 in Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-69364 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5525104 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The electron source is extremely fine. Paragraph

[0055] of Patent Document 2 describes that the size of the electron gun cathode is 50 μm × 50 μm × 100 μm. Manufacturing an electron source made of such fine parts requires skilled techniques.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing an electron source that is useful for efficiently manufacturing a fine electron source. The present disclosure also provides an electron source that can sufficiently prevent a member that emits electrons from falling off a member that holds the electron source, and an emitter including the electron source. Furthermore, the present disclosure also provides an apparatus including the emitter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing an electron source, the method including the steps of: (A) preparing a first member having a columnar portion made of a first material having electron emission properties; (B) preparing a second member having a work function higher than that of the first material and lower strength, and having a hole extending from one end face to the other end face; and (C) pushing the columnar portion into the hole of the second member, the columnar portion having a cross-sectional shape dissimilar to the cross-sectional shape of the hole of the second member, and in the step (C), by pushing the columnar portion into the hole, a part of the side surface of the columnar portion scrapes the inner surface of the hole and bites into the second member, thereby fixing the columnar portion to the second member.

[0007] According to the above manufacturing method, by adopting a second member having a strength lower than that of the first member, as described above, a part of the side surface of the columnar portion of the first member scrapes the inner surface of the hole and bites into the second member, thereby fixing the columnar portion to the second member. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture an electron source without strictly matching the sizes of the columnar portion and the hole.

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an electron source, which includes a columnar portion made of a first material having electron emission properties, and a tubular portion arranged to surround the columnar portion and made of a second material having a higher work function and lower strength than the first material, the tubular portion having a hole extending from one end face to the other end face, the columnar portion having a cross-sectional shape dissimilar to the cross-sectional shape of the hole in the tubular portion, and fixed to the tubular portion in a state of being bitten into the tubular portion.

[0009] According to the above electron source, it is possible to sufficiently prevent the member (columnar portion) that emits electrons from falling off the member (cylindrical portion) that holds it.

[0010] An emitter according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes the above-described electron source. An apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes the above-described emitter. Examples of apparatuses including an emitter include electron microscopes, semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses, inspection apparatuses, and processing apparatuses. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a method for manufacturing an electron source useful for efficiently manufacturing a fine electron source. According to the present disclosure, there is also provided an electron source capable of sufficiently preventing a member that emits electrons from falling off a member that holds the electron source, and an emitter including the electron source. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus including the emitter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an electron source according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the tip of the electron source shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of a first member having a columnar portion, FIG. 3(b) is a plan view showing a tip portion of the first member shown in FIG. 3(a), and FIG. 3(c) is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of a second member having a hole formed therein. [Figure 4] 4(a) to 4(c) are cross-sectional views that typically show the process of manufacturing the electron source shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the size relationship between the columnar portion (cross-sectional shape: approximately square) of the first member and the hole of the second member. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic of one embodiment of an emitter according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the size relationship between the columnar portion (cross-sectional shape: approximately triangular) of the first member and the hole of the second member. [Figure 8] FIG. 8(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of another embodiment of an electron source according to the present disclosure, FIG. 8(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line bb in FIG. 8(a), and FIG. 8(c) is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line cc in FIG. 8(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] <Electron source> FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an electron source according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the tip of the electron source 10 shown in FIG. 1. The electron source 10 includes a columnar portion 1 and an electron emission limiting member 2 arranged to surround the columnar portion 1. The columnar portion 1 is made of a first material (electron emission material) having electron emission characteristics. An end face 1a of the columnar portion 1 is an electron emission surface, and its normal line is the electron emission direction. On the other hand, the electron emission limiting member 2 is made of a second material (electron emission limiting material) having a higher work function and lower strength than the first material. The electron emission limiting member 2 has a cylindrical portion 2a in which a hole 3 is formed, and a base end portion 2b in which no hole 3 is formed. The base end portion 2b forms a bottom 3a of the hole 3. The hole 3 extends from the end face 2c of the electron emission limiting member 2 in the direction of the other end face 2d. In this embodiment, the opening area of ​​the hole 3 is constant from the end face 2c to the end face 2d.

[0015] 2, the columnar portion 1 has a cross-sectional shape dissimilar to that of the hole 3 of the electron emission limiting member 2, and is fixed to the electron emission limiting member 2 while being embedded in the cylindrical portion 2a. In this embodiment, in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the columnar portion 1, the shape of the columnar portion 1 is approximately square, and the shape of the hole 3 is approximately circular. The electron source 10 can sufficiently prevent the columnar portion 1 from falling off the electron emission limiting member 2.

[0016] At the tip surface of the electron source 10, a flat surface is formed by the end surface 1a (electron emission surface) of the columnar portion 1 and the end surface 2c of the electron emission limiting member 2. In addition, the entire side surface of the columnar portion 1 is covered by the cylindrical portion 2a. In this way, since the columnar portion 1 does not protrude from the cylindrical portion 2a, it is possible to sufficiently suppress the emission of unnecessary electrons, that is, the emission of electrons to the side. For example, in order to obtain a larger current of electrons, the tip portion of the electron source 10 is heated to a high temperature of about 1550°C and a high electric field of several kV is applied to the electron source 10. When such a high electric field is applied, excess electrons may be generated from other parts than the tip portion of the electron source. These excess electrons may reduce the brightness of the electron beam from the tip portion due to the space charge effect, or cause unnecessary heating of the surrounding electrode parts. To prevent this, only the electron emission portion of the electron source 10 (end surface 1a of the columnar portion 1) is exposed, and the other surfaces are covered with the cylindrical portion 2a, so that only a high-brightness electron beam from the tip portion can be obtained. The "flat surface" here means that the step between end face 1a and end face 2c is less than 2 μm. As long as this step is less than 2 μm, columnar portion 1 may protrude from tubular portion 2a, and end face 1a may be recessed relative to end face 2c. This step may be less than 1.5 μm or less than 1.0 μm.

[0017] By covering the entire side surface of the columnar part 1 with the cylindrical part 2a, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a phenomenon called micro-discharge. That is, in thermionic emission, electrons are emitted by heating the electron source to a high temperature. When the electron-emitting material evaporates, it adheres to the surrounding electrode parts and becomes fibrous crystals called whiskers. When electric charges accumulate in these whiskers, micro-discharge is caused. Micro-discharge makes the electron beam unstable and reduces the performance of the device. By covering the entire side surface of the columnar part 1 with the cylindrical part 2a, the sublimated electron-emitting material is trapped in the cylindrical part 2a, reducing the amount of adhesion to the surrounding electrode parts and making it difficult for micro-discharge to occur. Note that the cylindrical part 2a does not have a cut in a part of the circumferential direction, but covers the entire side surface of the columnar part 1. Since the cylindrical part 2a does not have a cut, it is possible to sufficiently suppress the emission of electrons to the side.

[0018] (electron emitting material) The columnar section 1 is made of an electron-emitting material (first material). The electron-emitting material is a material that emits electrons when heated. The electron-emitting material has a work function smaller than that of the electron-emission limiting material and a strength higher than that of the electron-emission limiting material. 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. The work functions of these materials are as follows: Lanthanum boride (LaB6): 2.8 eV Cerium boride (CeB6): 2.8 eV Tantalum carbide: 3.2 eV Hafnium carbide: 3.3 eV

[0019] From the viewpoints of electron emission characteristics, strength, and workability, it is preferable that the electron emission material constituting the columnar section 1 is a rare earth boride. When the columnar section 1 is made of a rare earth boride, the columnar section 1 has a low work function and is likely to emit electrons. <100> It is preferable that the columnar part 1 is a single crystal processed so that its orientation coincides with the electron emission direction. The columnar part 1 can be formed into a desired shape by electric discharge machining or the like. The side surface of the columnar part 1 is preferably a (100) crystal plane, since it is believed that this slows down the evaporation rate.

[0020] In this embodiment, the shape of the columnar portion 1 is a quadrangular column (see Figs. 1 and 2). The length of the columnar portion 1 is preferably 0.1 to 1 mm, more preferably 0.2 to 0.6 mm, and even more preferably about 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 occurrence of cracks, etc. The cross-sectional shape of the columnar portion 1 is approximately square. The length of each side is preferably 20 to 300 µm, more preferably 50 to 150 µm, and even more preferably about 100 µm.

[0021] (Electron emission limiting material) The electron emission limiting member 2 is made of an electron emission limiting material. The electron emission limiting material has a work function greater than that of the electron emitting material and a strength less than that of the electron emitting material. By covering the side surface of the columnar section 1 with the electron emission limiting member 2, the emission of electrons from the side surface of the columnar section 1 is suppressed.

[0022] The difference between the work function W2 of the electron emission limiting member 2 and the work function W1 of the columnar portion 1 (ΔW=W2−W1) is preferably 0.5 eV or more, more preferably 1.0 eV or more, and further preferably 1.6 eV or more.

[0023] The electron emission limiting material 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. The electron emission limiting material may also contain at least one of boron carbide and graphite (carbon material). The electron emission limiting material may also contain at least one of niobium, hafnium, and vanadium. Glassy carbon (for example, Glassy Carbon (trade name, manufactured by Rayho Manufacturing Co., Ltd.)) may be used as the electron emission limiting material. The work functions of these materials are as follows: Metallic rhenium: 4.9 eV Boron carbide: 5.2 eV Graphite: 5.0 eV

[0024] As described above, the strength of the electron emission limiting material is lower than that of the electron emitting material. The strength of both materials can be evaluated, for example, by Vickers hardness. From the viewpoint of having a moderate strength and workability, it is preferable that the material constituting the electron emission limiting member 2 has a Vickers hardness of about 100HV to 1900HV. For example, glassy carbon (Vickers hardness: about 230HV) is suitable as the electron emission limiting material because of its moderate strength. The tip 2e (a part of the cylindrical portion 2a) of the electron emission limiting member 2 is processed into a tapered shape, and the remaining portion (the remaining portion of the cylindrical portion 2a and the base end portion 2b) is processed into a square prism shape. By processing the tip 2e of the electron emission limiting member 2 into a tapered shape, an effect is achieved that the electric field can be easily concentrated and the electron emission efficiency can be improved. A support member (not shown) may be provided around the electron emission limiting member 2.

[0025] The electron emission material and the electron emission limiting material may be appropriately selected from the viewpoints of, for example, the work function and strength of both materials, and may be used in combination. Suitable examples of the electron emission material include lanthanum boride (LaB6), cerium boride (CeB6), hafnium carbide, and iridium cerium. Suitable examples of the electron emission limiting material include metal rhenium, boron carbide, and graphite (including glassy carbon). Note that some of the materials usable as the electron emission material may also be used as the electron emission limiting material. For example, a material with a work function of about 3.2 to 4.5 eV may be used as both the electron emission material and the electron emission limiting material. Examples of such materials include metal tungsten (work function: 4.5 eV), metal tantalum (work function: 3.2 eV), and hafnium carbide (work function: 3.3 eV).

[0026] <Manufacturing method of electron source> Next, a description will be given of a method for manufacturing the electron source 10. The electron source 10 is manufactured through the following steps. (A) A step of preparing a columnar first member 11 (see FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b)). (B) A step of preparing a second member 12 having a larger work function and lower strength than the first member 11, and having holes 13 formed therein extending from one end face 12a to the other end face 12b (see FIG. 3(c)). (C) A step of pushing the first member 11 into the hole 13 of the second member 12 (see FIG. 4(a)). In the above step (C), by pushing the first member 11 into the hole 13, a part of the side surface of the first member 11 scrapes the inner surface of the hole 13 and bites into the second member 12, and the first member 11 is fixed to the second member 12. Note that, although Fig. 4(a) illustrates a state in which the first member 11 has reached the back of the hole 13, the first member 11 does not have to reach the back of the hole 13.

[0027] 3(a) and 3(b) is made of an electron-emitting material. The first member 11 can be obtained from a block of the electron-emitting material by electric discharge machining or the like. The first member 11 is a portion that becomes the columnar portion 1 of the electron source 10.

[0028] The second member 12 shown in Fig. 3(c) is made of an electron emission limiting material. The second member 12 can be obtained by electric discharge machining or the like from a block of the electron emission limiting material. The hole 13 in the second member 12 is the portion that becomes the hole 3 in the electron source 10. The opening area of ​​the hole 13 is constant from the end face 12a to the end face 12b.

[0029] Fig. 4(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic state in which the first member 11 is pressed into the hole 13 of the second member 12. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the size relationship between the first member 11 and the hole 13 of the second member 12. Parts of the side surface of the first member 11 (four corners 11c) are biting into the second member 12. It is preferable that the sizes of the first member 11 and the hole 13 satisfy the following conditions. <Condition> L1 / R1>1…(1) In inequality (1), L1 represents the length of the diagonal of the cross section (approximately square) of the first member 11, and R1 represents the diameter of the hole 13.

[0030] It is more preferable that the value of L1 / R1 satisfies inequality (1a), it is even more preferable that the value satisfies inequality (1b), and it is particularly preferable that the value satisfies inequality (1c). 1 <L1 / R1<1.2…(1a) 1 <L1 / R1<1.1…(1b) 1 <L1 / R1<1.05…(1c)

[0031] The structure 15A shown in FIG. 4(b) is obtained by cutting out the portion enclosed by the dashed square in FIG. 4(a). In the structure 15A, the first member 11 protrudes from the end face 12a. The protruding portion 11a of the first member 11 is ground with, for example, abrasive paper to form the end face 1a (electron emission surface), and the outside of the second member 12 is processed into a square prism shape. This results in the square prism body 15B shown in FIG. 4(c). One end of the square prism body 15B is processed into a tapered shape to obtain the electron source 10 shown in FIG. 1. The order of processing is not limited to this. For example, from the state shown in FIG. 4(a), the protruding portion 11a may first be ground to form a flat surface, and then the portion enclosed by the dashed square in FIG. 4(a) may be cut out. Furthermore, the shape of the second member 12 after processing is not limited to a quadrangular prism, and may be, for example, a shape in which only the portion sandwiched by the heater in a substantially cylindrical electron source is processed to be flat (see FIG. 6).

[0032] According to the above manufacturing method, by employing an electron emission limiting material having a lower strength than the electron emitting material, as described above, a part of the side surface of the first member 11 scrapes the inner surface of the hole 13 and bites into the second member 12, thereby making it possible to fix the first member 11 to the second member 12. Therefore, the electron source 10 can be manufactured even if the sizes of the first member 11 and the hole 13 do not strictly match.

[0033] According to the above manufacturing method, by going through the process of cutting the protruding portion 11a of the first member 11, a flat surface is formed by the end face 1a (electron emission surface) of the columnar portion 1 and the end face 2c of the tubular portion 2a at the tip of the electron source 10. Since the columnar portion 1 does not protrude from the tubular portion 2a, as described above, it is possible to sufficiently suppress the emission of unnecessary electrons, i.e., the emission of electrons to the sides, and also to suppress micro-discharges caused by the generation of whiskers.

[0034] In step (A), a plurality of first members 11 may be prepared, and in step (B), a plurality of second members 12 each having a hole 13 formed therein may be prepared. In this case, prior to carrying out step (C), a pair of first members 11 and second members 12 that satisfy the above conditions may be selected, and step (C) may be carried out using these.

[0035] <emitter> Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an emitter. The emitter 20 shown in Fig. 6 includes an electron source 10, a carbon heater 16 arranged around the electron source 10, electrode pins 17a and 17b, an insulator 18, and a suppressor 19. The carbon heater 16 is for heating the electron source 10. The electrode pins 17a and 17b are for passing electricity through the carbon heater 16. The suppressor 19 is for suppressing excess current. Note that the electron source 10 may be heated by a means other than the carbon heater 16.

[0036] Examples of devices that include the emitter 20 include electron microscopes, semiconductor manufacturing devices, inspection devices, and processing devices.

[0037] 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, in the above embodiment, the columnar portion 1 has a substantially square cross-sectional shape (see Figs. 1 and 2), but the cross-sectional shape of the columnar portion 1 may be a substantially polygonal shape other than a substantially square shape, such as a substantially rectangular shape, a substantially rhombus shape, a substantially parallelogram shape, a substantially triangular shape (e.g., a substantially equilateral triangle), or a substantially regular hexagon shape.

[0038] When the cross-sectional shape of the first member 11 is a substantially quadrilateral other than a substantially square, the above L1 / R1 has the following value. L1: The length of the longer of the two diagonals of an approximately rectangular shape R1: diameter of hole 13

[0039] When manufacturing an electron source in which the cross-sectional shape of the columnar portion 1 is substantially triangular, it is preferable that the first member 11 and the hole 13 satisfy the following conditions. <Condition> When the diameter R2 of the circumscribing circle of the approximate triangle is larger than the diameter R1 of the hole and the approximate triangle is placed in a circle having the same diameter as the diameter R1 of the hole 13, at least two corners of the approximate triangle touch the circle. In FIG. 7, the solid circle R is the circle with the diameter R1, and the dashed circle R T is the circumscribing circle of approximately triangle T.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the opening area of ​​the hole 3 is constant in the extending direction, but the hole of the electron emission limiting member 2 may have a tapered portion in which the opening area decreases from the end face 2c to the end face 2d. The electron source 10A shown in FIG. 8(a) has the same configuration as the electron source 10 except for the shape of the hole. The hole 4 in the electron source 10A is composed of a hole 4a on the end face 2c side, a hole 4b on the end face 2d side, and a tapered portion 4c (reduced diameter portion) between them. The inner diameter of the hole 4b is smaller than the inner diameter of the hole 4a. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8(b), if the columnar portion 1 cuts the inner surface of the hole 4b and is sufficiently fixed in a state of biting into the electron emission limiting member 2, the columnar portion 1 may not be biting into the electron emission limiting member 2 in the hole 4a, as shown in FIG. 8(c). Note that, here, the tapered portion 4c in which the inner diameter is continuously reduced is exemplified as the tapered portion, but the tapered portion may be one in which the inner diameter is reduced in a stepwise manner. The hole of the second member 12 may also have a reduced diameter portion in a similar manner. [Industrial Applicability]

[0041] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a method for manufacturing an electron source useful for efficiently manufacturing a fine electron source. According to the present disclosure, there is also provided an electron source capable of sufficiently preventing a member that emits electrons from falling off a member that holds the electron source, and an emitter including the electron source. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus including the emitter. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1...columnar portion, 1a...end face (electron emission surface), 2...electron emission limiting member, 2a...tubular portion, 2b...base end portion, 2c...one end face, 2d...other end face, 3, 4, 13...hole, 4c...tapered portion (reduced diameter portion), 10, 10A...electron source, 11...first member (columnar portion), 11a...protruding portion, 11c...corner portion, 12...second member, 20...emitter.

Claims

1. (A) preparing a first member having a columnar portion made of a first material having electron emission properties; (B) preparing a second member having a work function greater than that of the first material and a lower strength, the second member having a hole extending from one end surface to the other end surface; (C) pushing the columnar portion into the hole of the second member; Including, the columnar portion has a cross-sectional shape that is non-similar to a cross-sectional shape of the hole, In step (C), the columnar portion is pushed into the hole, so that a part of a side surface of the columnar portion scrapes an inner surface of the hole and bites into the second member, thereby fixing the columnar portion to the second member; (C) after the step, the entire side surface of the portion of the columnar portion housed in the hole is covered with the second member (however, this does not include a method of manufacturing an electron source that includes a step of filling a mixture of carbon powder and an organic adhesive around the periphery of the columnar portion in the hole).

2. The hole has a circular shape in a cross section of the second member perpendicular to the direction in which the hole extends, the shape of the columnar portion is generally polygonal in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the columnar portion, and the columnar portion has a shape of a generally polygonal column having a number of corners corresponding to the number of corners of the generally polygonal column; 2. The method for manufacturing an electron source according to claim 1, wherein in step (C), by pushing the columnar portion into the hole, the corner of at least one of the side surfaces of the columnar portion scrapes the inner surface of the hole and bites into the second member, thereby fixing the columnar portion to the second member.

3. The method for manufacturing an electron source according to claim 1 , wherein an opening area of ​​the hole is constant from the one end face to the other end face.

4. The method for manufacturing an electron source according to claim 1 , wherein the hole has a tapered portion whose opening area decreases from the one end face side to the other end face side.

5. 5. The method for manufacturing an electron source according to claim 1, wherein the columnar portion has a substantially square or rectangular shape in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the columnar portion.

6. A columnar portion made of a first material having electron emission properties; a cylindrical portion arranged to surround the columnar portion and made of a second material having a work function larger and a strength smaller than that of the first material; An electron source comprising: The cylindrical portion has a hole formed therein, the hole extending from one end surface to the other end surface. the columnar portion has a cross-sectional shape dissimilar to a cross-sectional shape of the hole, and is fixed to the cylindrical portion in a state where it bites into the cylindrical portion, An electron source in which the entire side surface of the portion of the columnar portion that is housed in the hole is covered by the cylindrical portion (excluding an electron source in which the periphery of the columnar portion in the hole is filled with a mixture of carbon powder and an organic adhesive).

7. The shape of the hole is circular in a cross section of the cylindrical portion perpendicular to the direction in which the hole extends, In a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the columnar portion, the shape of the columnar portion is generally polygonal, and the columnar portion has a shape of a generally polygonal column having a number of corners corresponding to the number of corners of the generally polygonal shape, The electron source according to claim 6 , wherein the columnar portion is fixed to the cylindrical portion in a state in which the corner portion of at least one of the side surfaces of the columnar portion is engaged with the cylindrical portion.

8. 8. The electron source according to claim 6, wherein a flat surface is formed by the electron emission surface of said columnar portion and an end face of said cylindrical portion.

9. 9. The electron source according to claim 6, wherein an end face of the columnar portion that constitutes the electron emission surface is substantially polygonal.

10. 10. The electron source according to claim 6, wherein the first material is a material selected from the group consisting of rare earth borides, high melting point metals and their oxides, carbides and nitrides, and noble metal-rare earth alloys.

11. An emitter comprising an electron source according to any one of claims 6 to 10.

12. A device comprising the emitter of claim 11.

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