Cold Field Emitters (CFE)
Unlike thermionic and thermal field emitters, CFEs operate at room temperature. Field emission occurs when electrons are emitted in response to the application of a strong electric field. To achieve this high field, single crystal tungsten is etched to a microscopically sharp tip. CFEs are very high brightness sources and as such, excel in applications where high current densities are required and extremely high vacuum conditions can be achieved.
At APT, we grow and process our own single crystal tungsten in-house. Our etch processes can be tailored to customers’ requirements and are tightly controlled to guarantee quality and consistency. APT can provide CFEs with any emitter base/suppressor configuration including FEI/Philips, Denka, Hitachi, JEOL, and custom configurations.
APT’s R&D team partners with customers to design cathodes customized to meet their needs. Contact us to speak with one of our specialists, explain your application, and let us partner with you to find a solution.