Enhancement of ion-induced bending phenomenon using a double-layered film for field emitter array fabrication

The authors proposed a simple fabrication technique of field emitter array based on a ion-induced bending (IIB) phenomenon. This technique is a very simple two-step process, involving the formation of a cantilever and subsequent ion irradiation. To form a vertical thin film emitter with practical ion dose, however, only a few specific film materials with limited thickness can be used. Therefore, an enhancement method of the IIB phenomenon is necessary. To enhance the IIB phenomenon, the authors proposed the double-layered film method. It was found that the ion-induced bending effect could be extremely enhanced by using a double-layered film method. The required dose could consequently be decreased to less than 5×1015cm−2 in the case of using a heavy element for the cantilever film. This methodology increases the potential of ion-induced bending as a simple fabrication technique for FEA device structures.