Electron Emission Device With Stacked Electron Collection Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor (MISM) electron emission sources face low electron emission efficiency due to a higher barrier than the average kinetic energy of electrons, resulting in unsatisfactory display effects in electron emission display devices.
Innovation Solution
An electron emission source is designed with a stacked structure comprising a first electrode, a semiconductor layer, an electron collection layer, and a second electrode, where the electron collection layer, potentially made of carbon nanotubes or graphene, is sandwiched between the semiconductor and insulating layers to accelerate and collect electrons, enhancing their energy and emission efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional MISM electron emission source structure is used, then device structure is simple, but electron emission efficiency is low due to high barrier
Solution Approach 1:
The electron emission source is divided into multiple functional layers: first electrode, semiconductor layer, insulating layer, and second electrode. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function optimally, with the semiconductor layer reducing the barrier and the insulating layer providing electrical isolation, thereby improving electron emission efficiency while maintaining manageable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite material structure combining different materials with complementary properties: semiconductor material for barrier reduction, insulating material for electrical isolation, and conductive materials for electrode functions. This composite approach enables the system to overcome the limitation of high barrier in traditional MISM structures while achieving efficient electron emission.
2Productivity
If barrier height is reduced to improve electron emission, then electron emission efficiency increases, but control over electron flow becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layer serves as an intermediary between the semiconductor layer and the second electrode, providing electrical isolation while allowing the system to maintain controlled electron flow. This intermediary structure enables the semiconductor layer to reduce the barrier for electron emission while the insulating layer prevents unwanted electrical conduction, thus maintaining reliability in electron flow control.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the device have different material properties optimized for their specific functions: the semiconductor layer has properties optimized for barrier reduction and electron emission, while the insulating layer has properties optimized for electrical isolation. This local quality differentiation allows the system to achieve both high electron emission efficiency and reliable electron flow control in different parts of the device.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed structure significantly improves electron emission efficiency by ensuring electrons have sufficient energy to escape, leading to enhanced display performance in electron emission display devices.
Implementation Method 1
a semiconductor layer, an electron collection layer, an insulating layer and a second electrode which are stacked in this sequence from one side of the first electrode to the other side
Implementation Method 2
an electron collection layer... sandwiched between the semiconductor and insulating layers to accelerate and collect electrons
Data Source
AI summary
An electron emission device includes a number of second electrodes intersected with a number of first electrodes to define a number of intersections. An electron emission unit is sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode at each of the number of intersections, wherein the electron emission unit includes a semiconductor layer, an electron collection layer, and an insulating layer stacked together, and the electron collection layer is a conductive layer.