John M Macaulay

US Patent:

6356014, Mar 12, 2002

Filed:

Mar 27, 1997

Appl. No.:

08/826454

Inventors:

Xueping Xu - Stamford CT
George R. Brandes - Danbury CT
Christopher J. Spindt - Menlo Park CA
Colin D. Stanners - San Jose CA
John M. Macaulay - Mountain View CA

Assignee:

Candescent Technologies Corporation - San Jose CA
Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. - Danbury CT

International Classification:

H01J 130

US Classification:

313497, 313309, 313336

Abstract:

A cathode structure suitable for a flat-panel display contains an emitter layer ( ) divided into emitter lines, a plurality of electron emitters ( , or ) situated over the emitter lines, and a gate layer ( A) having an upper surface spaced largely above the electron emitters. The gate layer has a plurality of gate holes ( B) each corresponding to one of the electron emitters. The cathode structure further includes a carbon-containing layer ( , or ) coated over the electron emitters and directly on at least part of the upper surface of the gate layer such that at least part of the carbon-containing layer extending along and above the gate layer is exposed.

US Patent:

6379210, Apr 30, 2002

Filed:

Nov 29, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/727023

Inventors:

Xueping Xu - Stamford CT
George R. Brandes - Danbury CT
Christopher J. Spindt - Menlo Park CA
Colin D. Stanners - San Jose CA
John M. Macaulay - Mountain View CA

Assignee:

Candescent Technologies Coporation - San Jose CA
Candescent Intellectual Property Services, Inc. - San Jose CA
Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. - Danbury CT

International Classification:

H01J 902

US Classification:

445 50, 445 24

Abstract:

A cathode structure suitable for a flat panel display is provided with coated emitters. The emitters are formed with material, typically nickel, capable of growing to a high aspect ratio. These emitters are then coated with carbon containing material for improving the chemical robustness and reducing the work function. One coating process is a DC plasma deposition process in which acetylene is pumped through a DC plasma reactor to create a DC plasma for coating the cathode structure. An alternative coating process is to electrically deposit raw carbon-based material onto the surface of the emitters, and subsequently reduce the raw carbon-based material to the carbon containing material. Work function of coated emitters is typically reduced by about 0. 8 to 1. 0 eV.

US Patent:

6515407, Feb 4, 2003

Filed:

Aug 28, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/141697

Inventors:

John M. Macaulay - Palo Alto CA

Assignee:

Candescent Technologies Corporation - San Jose CA

International Classification:

H01J 102

US Classification:

313309, 313336, 313351

Abstract:

A gated filament structure for a field emission display includes a plurality of filaments. Included is a substrate, an insulating layer positioned adjacent to the substrate, and a metal gate layer position adjacent to the insulating layer. The metal gate layer has a plurality of gates, the metal gate layer having an average thickness âsâ and a top metal gate layer planar surface that is substantially parallel to a bottom metal gate layer planar surface. The metal gate layer includes a plurality of apertures extending through the gates. Each aperture has an average width ârâ along a bottom planar surface of the aperture. Each aperture defines a midpoint plane positioned parallel to and equally distant from the top metal gate layer planar surface and the bottom metal gate layer planar surface. A plurality of filaments are individually positioned in an aperture. Each filament has a filament axis.

US Patent:

7025892, Apr 11, 2006

Filed:

Jan 31, 1995

Appl. No.:

08/383409

Inventors:

David L. Bergeron - San Jose CA, US
John M. Macaulay - Palo Alto CA, US
Roger W. Barton - Palo Alto CA, US
Jeffrey D. Morse - Martinez CA, US

Assignee:

Candescent Technologies Corporation - San Jose CA

International Classification:

H01B 13/00
C23F 1/00

US Classification:

216 13, 216 16, 216 19, 216 49, 445 49, 445 50

Abstract:

A method is provided for creating gated filament structures for a field emission display. A multi-layer structure is provided that includes a substrate, an insulating layer and a metal gate layer positioned on at least a portion of a top surface of the insulating layer. A plurality of patterned gates are also provided in order to define a plurality of gate apertures on the top surface of the insulating layer. A plurality of spacers are formed in the gate apertures at edges of the patterned gates on the top surface of the insulating layer. The spacers are used as masks for etching the insulating layer and forming a plurality of pores in the insulating layer. The pores are plated with a filament material that extends from the insulating pores, into the gate apertures, and creates a plurality of filaments. The spacers are then removed. The multi-layer structure can further include a conductivity layer on at least a portion of a top surface of the substrate.

US Patent:

20020033663, Mar 21, 2002

Filed:

Sep 26, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/965197

Inventors:

Xueping Xu - Stamford CT, US
George Brandes - Danbury CT, US
Christopher Spindt - Menlo Park CA, US
Colin Stanners - San Jose CA, US
John Macaulay - Mountain View CA, US

International Classification:

H01J001/62

US Classification:

313/495000, 313/309000, 313/336000, 313/351000

Abstract:

A cathode structure suitable for a flat panel display is provided with coated emitters. The emitters are formed with material, typically nickel, capable of growing to a high aspect ratio. These emitters are then coated with carbon containing material for improving the chemical robustness and reducing the work function. One coating process is a DC plasma deposition process in which acetylene is pumped through a DC plasma reactor to create a DC plasma for coating the cathode structure. An alternative coating process is to electrically deposit raw carbon-based material onto the surface of the emitters, and subsequently reduce the raw carbon-based material to the carbon containing material. Work function of coated emitters is typically reduced by about 0.8 to 1.0 eV.

US Patent:

57664463, Jun 16, 1998

Filed:

Mar 5, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/610729

Inventors:

Christopher J. Spindt - Menlo Park CA
Gabriela S. Chakarova - San Jose CA
Maria S. Nikolova - Baltimore MD
Peter C. Searson - Baltimore MD
Duane A. Haven - Cupertino CA
Nils Johan Knall - Palo Alto CA
John M. Macaulay - Palo Alto CA
Roger W. Barton - Palo Alto CA

Assignee:

Candescent Technologies Corporation - San Jose CA

International Classification:

C25F 300

US Classification:

205640

Abstract:

An electrochemical technique is employed for removing certain material from a partially finished structure without significantly chemically attacking certain other material of the same chemical type as the removed material. The partially finished structure contains a first electrically non-insulating layer (52C) consisting at least partially of first material, typically excess emitter material that accumulates during the deposition of the emitter material to form electron-emissive elements (52A) in an electron emitter, that overlies an electrically insulating layer (44). An electrically non-insulating member, such as an electron-emissive element, consisting at least partially of the first material is situated at least partly in an opening (50) extending through the insulating layer. With the partially finished structure so arranged, at least part of the first material of the first non-insulating layer is electrochemically removed such that the non-insulating member is exposed without significantly attacking the first material of the non-insulating member.

US Patent:

50892924, Feb 18, 1992

Filed:

Jul 20, 1990

Appl. No.:

7/556647

Inventors:

John M. MaCaulay - Menlo Park CA
C. A. Spindt - Menlo Park CA
Christopher E. Holland - Redwood City CA
Ivor Brodie - Palo Alto CA

Assignee:

Coloray Display Corporation - Fremont CA

International Classification:

B05D 512
H01J 1906

US Classification:

427 78

Abstract:

A field emission cathode device is disclosed herein and includes an array of electron emitting cathode tips supported by a base electrode or electrodes, a gate electrode spaced from and associated with each tip, and dielectric material located between each gate electrode and the base electrode of its associated cathode tip for insulating the two from one another. The device also includes means for establishing an electric field between the gate electrodes and tips sufficient to cause the tips to emit current. In addition, each electron emitting cathode tip is coated with an electrically conductive material that reduces its electron work function. At the same time, the dielectric material which insulates the base electrodes and gate electrodes from one another is maintained sufficiently free of the electron work function reducing material so as not to result in any appreciable current leakage between the base and gate electrodes. The specific method of coating the cathode tips is also disclosed herein.

US Patent:

55526594, Sep 3, 1996

Filed:

Jun 29, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/269312

Inventors:

John M. Macaulay - Palo Alto CA
Christopher J. Spindt - Menlo Park CA
Patrick A. Corcoran - Oakland CA
Lee H. Veneklasen - Castro Valley CA

Assignee:

Silicon Video Corporation - San Jose CA

International Classification:

H01J 102

US Classification:

313310

Abstract:

An electron emitter contains a gate layer (38), an underlying dielectric layer (36), an intermediate non-insulating layer (34) situated below the dielectric layer, and a lower non-insulating region (32) situated below the intermediate non-insulating layer. A multiplicity of electron-emissive particles (42) are situated over the non-insulating region at the bottom of an opening (40) extending through the three layers. The ratio of the thickness of the dielectric layer to the thickness of the intermediate non-insulating layer is in the range of 1:1 to 4:1, while the ratio of the mean diameter of the opening to the thickness of the intermediate non-insulating layer is in the range 1:1 to 10:1. The presence of the intermediate non-insulating layer improves the collimation of the beam of electrons emitted from the electron-emissive elements. The electron emitter is manufactured according to a simple, readily controllable process.