Fabrication of a gated cold cathode using the inkjet embedding method

We proposed the inkjet embedding method for fabrication of a gated cold cathode. In fabrication of the gated cold cathode, a conventional photolithography and a newly developed system for inkjet printing were used for the gate aperture opening and the ink embedding, respectively. It was found that the surface free energy control before embedding of the ink, the ink drying, and separation between the gate electrode and the ink are the key steps to successful fabrication of the gated cold cathode. We also demonstrated the field electron emission from the gated cold cathode. The turn-on voltage was about 40V, and an anode current of about 3 μA was obtained at the gate voltage of 120V.