Field Emission Vacuum Magnetic Sensors

该项目将建立在UCL已经进行的工作基础上，开发一种新型的平面真空磁传感器。该装置将利用洛伦兹力对场发射电子流的影响。场致发射将通过光刻法产生尖锐的硅尖和正偏置栅极电极来实现，以在真空中产生电子流。电子将使用分裂阳极来检测，该分裂阳极将在同一晶片上制造，因此将在设备的平面内。在垂直于器件的方向上施加磁场会产生电子偏转，这种偏转可以通过阳极-阴极电流差的变化来检测。拟议的研究将解决第一代器件中发现的问题，包括尖端几何形状、栅极和阳极几何形状的控制、蚀刻工艺的控制和器件布局的优化。除了磁场传感，将研究该器件在产生UV光方面的应用。

The project will build on work already under way at UCL to develop a novel planar vacuum magnetic sensor. The device will exploit the effect of the Lorentz force on a stream of field-emitted electrons. Field emission will be achieved by creating a sharp silicon tip by photolithography and positively biasing gate electrodes to produce a stream of electrons in vacuum. The electrons will be detected using a split anode, which will be fabricated on the same wafer, and will therefore be in the plane of the device. Applying a magnetic field perpendicular to the device will produce a deflection of the electrons, detectable as a change in the differential anode-cathode current.The proposed research will address issues identified in the first generation of devices, including control of tip geometry, gate and anode geometry, control of etch process, and optimisation of device layout.As well as magnetic field sensing, the application of the devices to the generation of UV light will be investigated.