IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0864957
(2013-04-17)
|
등록번호 |
US-8810161
(2014-08-19)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Cheatham, III, Jesse R.
- Eckhoff, Philip Andrew
- Gates, William
- Hyde, Roderick A.
- Ishikawa, Muriel Y.
- Kare, Jordin T.
- Myhrvold, Nathan P.
- Pan, Tony S.
- Petroski, Robert C.
- Tegreene, Clarence T.
- Tuckerman, David B.
- Whitmer, Charles
- Wood, Jr., Lowell L.
- Wood, Victoria Y. H.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
3 인용 특허 :
34 |
초록
Field emission devices are configured in addressable arrays.
대표청구항
▼
1. An apparatus comprising: an array of field emission devices, each field emission device in the array of field emission devices comprising: a cathode;an anode, wherein the anode and cathode are receptive to a first power source to produce an anode electric potential higher than a cathode electric
1. An apparatus comprising: an array of field emission devices, each field emission device in the array of field emission devices comprising: a cathode;an anode, wherein the anode and cathode are receptive to a first power source to produce an anode electric potential higher than a cathode electric potential;a gate positioned between the anode and the cathode, the gate being receptive to a second power source to produce a gate electric potential selected to induce electron emission from the cathode; anda suppressor positioned between the gate and the anode, the suppressor being receptive to a third power source to produce a suppressor electric potential selected to provide a force on an electron in a direction pointing towards the suppressor in a region between the suppressor and the anode; andcircuitry operably connected to the array of field emission devices to control an output of the array. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the output includes a power output. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the output includes a current. 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the cathodes in the array of field emission devices includes at least one field emission enhancement feature. 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is configured to vary at least one of the anode electric potential, gate electric potential, and suppressor electric potential for a first field emission device in the array of field emission devices. 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the circuitry is further configured to vary at least one of the anode electric potential, gate electric potential, and suppressor electric potential for a second field emission device in the array of field emission devices, independently of varying at least one of the anode electric potential, gate electric potential, and suppressor electric potential for the first field emission device. 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each cathode in the array of field emission devices is electrically isolated from the other cathodes in the array of field emission devices. 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each gate in the array of field emission devices is electrically isolated from the other gates in the array of field emission devices. 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each suppressor in the array of suppressors is electrically isolated from the other suppressors in the array of field emission devices. 10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each anode in the array of anodes is electrically isolated from the other anodes in the array of field emission devices. 11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each cathode, gate, suppressor, and anode in the array of field emission devices is electrically isolated from the other cathodes, gates, suppressors, and anodes in the array. 12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each cathode in the array of cathodes is thermally isolated from the other cathodes in the array of field emission devices. 13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each cathode in the array of cathodes has a cathode temperature, and wherein the circuitry is operably connected to each cathode to vary the cathode temperature. 14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each anode in the array of anodes is thermally isolated from the other anodes in the array of field emission devices. 15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein each anode in the array of anodes has an anode temperature, and wherein the circuitry is operably connected to each anode to vary the anode temperature. 16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least two field emission devices in the array of field emission devices form a sub-group, the sub-group having a sub-group output, and wherein the circuitry is operably connected to the sub-group to control the sub-group output. 17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the circuitry is further operably connected to the sub-group to determine a performance of at least one field emission device in the sub-group and to control the output of the sub-group according to the determined performance. 18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the determined performance includes a relative thermodynamic efficiency of the at least one field emission device. 19. A method corresponding to an apparatus including an array of field emission devices, the method comprising: selecting a first field emission device in the array of field emission devices, the first field emission device having a first cathode region, a first gate region, a first suppressor region, and a first anode region;applying a first anode electric potential to the first anode region that is greater than a first cathode electric potential of the first cathode region;applying a first gate electric potential to the first gate region to release a first set of electrons from the first cathode region;passing the first set of electrons from the first gate region to the first suppressor region;applying a first suppressor electric potential to decelerate the first set of electrons between the first suppressor region and the first anode region; andbinding the first set of electrons in the first anode region. 20. The method of claim 19 further comprising: after selecting the first field emission device, varying at least one of the first anode electric potential, the first gate electric potential, and the first suppressor electric potential as a function of time. 21. The method of claim 19 further comprising: selecting a second field emission device in the array of field emission devices, the second field emission device having a second cathode region, a second gate region, a second suppressor region and a second anode region;applying a second anode electric potential to the second anode region that is greater than a second cathode electric potential of the second cathode region;applying a second gate electric potential to the second gate region to release a second set of electrons from the second cathode region;passing the second set of electrons from the second gate region to the second suppressor region;applying a second suppressor electric potential to decelerate the second set of electrons between the second suppressor region and the second anode region; andbinding the second set of electrons in the first anode region. 22. The method of claim 21 wherein the first anode electric potential is different from the second anode electric potential. 23. The method of claim 21 wherein the first gate electric potential is different from the second gate electric potential. 24. The method of claim 21 wherein the first suppressor electric potential is different from the second suppressor electric potential. 25. The method of claim 21 wherein the first field emission device is substantially electrically isolated from the second field emission device. 26. The method of claim 21 wherein the first field emission device is substantially thermally isolated from the second field emission device. 27. The method of claim 21 wherein the first field emission device is substantially thermally connected to the second field emission device. 28. The method of claim 21 wherein the first gate region is electrically connected to the second gate region. 29. The method of claim 21 wherein the first suppressor region is electrically connected to the second suppressor region. 30. The method of claim 21 wherein the first anode region is electrically connected to the second anode region. 31. The method of claim 21 wherein selecting the second field emission device in the array of field emission devices includes: determining a spatial location of the second field emission device relative to the first field emission device; andselecting the second field emission device according to the determined spatial location relative to the first field emission device. 32. The method of claim 19 wherein selecting the first field emission device in the array of field emission devices includes: determining a frequency range corresponding to at least two field emission devices in the array of field emission devices; andselecting the first field emission device according to the determined frequency range of the device. 33. The method of claim 19 wherein selecting the first field emission device in the array of field emission devices includes: providing heat to the first field emission device. 34. The method of claim 19 wherein selecting the first field emission device in the array of field emission devices includes: selecting a first sub-group of field emission devices in the array of field emission devices, wherein the first field emission device is in the first sub-group. 35. The method of claim 19 wherein selecting the first field emission device in the array of field emission devices includes: receiving a signal corresponding to an output of the array of field emission devices; andselecting the first field emission device based on the received signal. 36. The method of claim 19 wherein selecting the first field emission device in the array of field emission devices includes: applying electromagnetic energy to the first cathode region. 37. The method of claim 36 wherein the electromagnetic energy includes a photon. 38. A method corresponding to an apparatus including an array of field emission devices, the method comprising: selecting a first field emission device in the array of field emission devices, the first field emission device having a first cathode region, a first gate region, a first suppressor region, and a first anode region;selecting a second field emission device in the array of field emission devices, the second field emission device having a second cathode region, a second gate region, a second suppressor region, and a second anode region;applying an anode electric potential to the second anode region that is greater than a cathode electric potential of the first cathode region;applying a gate electric potential to the first gate region to release a first set of electrons from the first cathode region;passing the first set of electrons from the first gate region to the second suppressor region;applying a suppressor electric potential to decelerate the first set of electrons between the second suppressor region and the second anode region; andbinding the first set of electrons in the second anode region. 39. An apparatus comprising: circuitry configured to receive a first signal corresponding to an array of heat engines, each heat engine in the array of heat engines including an anode, cathode, spacer region, gate and suppressor;circuitry configured to process the first signal to determine an output parameter of the array of heat engines as a function of an anode electric potential applied to each anode in the array, a gate electric potential applied to each gate in the array, and a suppressor electric potential applied to each suppressor in the array;circuitry configured to produce a second signal corresponding to a selected value of the output parameter; andcircuitry configured to transmit the second signal. 40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein the output parameter includes at least one of a relative thermodynamic efficiency and a relative power output. 41. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein the first signal includes an identifier of malfunction of at least one heat engine in the array of heat engines, and wherein the second signal is selected to disable the at least one heat engine in the array of heat engines. 42. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein the array of heat engines includes at least one sub-group, the sub-group including at least two heat engines in the array of heat engines, and wherein the second signal is transmitted to each heat engine in the sub-group. 43. The apparatus of claim 42 wherein the second signal is configured to change at least one of the anode electric potential, the gate electric potential, the suppressor electric potential, and a cathode temperature of each heat engine in the sub-group.
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