Method for fabricating electrode device

Abstract

An electrode device for an electric field emission electron source suitable for duty drive having an element size of 50 μm or smaller and an electrode device fabricating method. A glass film used as catalyst of forming carbon nanotubes is formed on a substrate to form metal catalyst at nano meter level and control dispersion. Carbon nanotubes are dispersively formed on the metal catalyst and a metal coat is formed on the surface of carbon nanotubes to improve electric pulse response characteristics.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of fabricating an electrode device comprising steps of: 
 forming a glass film of material having glass components on a semiconductor, metal or insulating substrate to form crystallites having a grain diameter of 50 nm or smaller;    growing and dispersively forming nanotubes or nanowires by using the crystallites as nuclei of catalyst; and    forming a metal coat on surfaces of the nanotubes or nanowires.    
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein a chemical component of the glass film is oxide which contains elements of group IVb or VIII of the periodic table.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the crystallites in the glass film are made of metal oxide and growth directions of crystallites have all a same orientation.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein a diameter of each crystallite in the glass film is 50 nm or smaller.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein a distribution of diameters of the crystallites in the glass film is approximately a Gauss distribution.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein SiO 2  and/or TiO 2  are added to the glass components by a proper amount.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein a surface specific resistance of the nanotubes or nanowires coated with the metal coat is better than 10 −3  Ω·cm.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein a distance between adjacent longest nanotubes or nanowires at tips thereof is 1 nm or wider.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nanotubes or nanowires coated with the metal coat are made of material whose chemical composition has carbon of 80 atomic percents or larger as a main component.  
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nanotubes or nanowires are made of material whose main chemical composition has compound of C, B and N as a main component.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nanotubes or nanowires are made of material whose chemical composition has metal elements of group IVb or VIb of the periodic table.