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In this recent article [1], about half way through, the author writes about work on cold cathodes. These are field-emission devices like you describe. Vacuum-c
by mannykannot 8y ago
In this recent article [1], about half way through, the author writes about work on cold cathodes. These are field-emission devices like you describe.
Vacuum-channel transistors do not actually use a vacuum, because the channel is much shorter than the mean free path of electrons in air, and they usually cross the channel without colliding with any air molecules, and, despite the field strength, without gaining sufficient energy to ionize them when they do.
[1] https://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/devices/the-quest-for-the-ultimate-vacuum-tube https://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/devices/the-quest-f...
- hilbert42 8y agoThanks for that. It's coming back. I now remember I've seen that article but I wasn't thinking of it when I wrote but another one on the same or similar matter. Seems I've concatenated both together in my mind even though they were written decades apart. That said, the original articles seemed conceptually important to me at the time so at least some of the info stuck. It'll be interesting to see if the technology eventually makes into mainstream. I'd put money on it that it will.