Geometry and element composition of a nanoscale field emission array formed by self-organization in porous anodic aluminum oxide

The paper reports the results of investigations by scanning electron microscopy technique and the Auger electron spectroscopy of geometrical parameters and element composition of a regular nanoscale pillar array (NPA) formed on the titanium layer as a result of electrochemical anodizing the double-layer thin film titanium-aluminum system due to the self-organization of the system at nanolevel. The gain packaging density of pillars in such an array was 3.74 x 10(10) pil/cm(2) with the average diameter of a pillar of 37.5 nm. The height of a pillar in the array all over the surface of the tested samples was the same and its value is defined by the anodizing regimes of the double-layer thin film Ti-Al system. There is no need for this technique of field emission array fabrication to use submicron lithography processes and practically there are no size limitations for the templates used that makes it very promising for fabricating cold-cathode flat panel displays. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.