Electron Motion Three-Dimensional Confinement for Microelectronic Vacuum Gauges with Field Emitters

Novel microelectronics vacuum gauges using field emitters are proposed and the three-dimensional (3D) confinement of electron motion is numerically analyzed. For the case of magnetron and inverted-magnetron structures, the two-dimensional (2D) confinement of electron motion takes place when the electrons move subject to crossed electric E and magnetic B fields. The radial electric field is applied between two cylindrical surfaces coaxial around the X axis, which is also the direction of the applied magnetic field B . A similar structure named “orbitip” is used for electron 2D confinement without magnetic fields for special conditions concerning the electron launching. For all above-mentioned devices, designs involving a region of minimal potential energy for the electron along the axial X direction may ensure the electron motion confinement along this direction. Such configurations are obtained if the inner cylindrical electrode (or the outer one, or both) has a variable radius and also an external planar electrode is used.