Suppression of outgassing from spindt-type cold-cathode by heat treatment

In Spindt type cold cathode electron source (hereafter, referred to as FEA), field emission is used for extracting electrons. It was made clear that the FEA is an excellent electron source that never causes gas release by heating peripheral parts. But the gas release form the FEA was confirmed though it was slight accompanying the extraction of current. This gas release becomes a problem when pressure measurement is carried out by using the FEA in ultrahigh or extremely high vacuum. If the gas release occurs by the effect of the heat generation at the tip of an emitter accompanying the extraction of electron current, it is possible to reduce the gas release by carrying out the heat treatment of the FEA was attempted, and as the result, it was elucidated that by the heat treatment at 400degC, the gas release form the FEA was able to be suppressed. However, a new problem that the insulation between gate and emitter deteriorated and broke during the extraction of current occurred. The experimental method and the results of the reduction of gas release by heat treatment and the observation of the broken FEA with a scanning electron microscope are reported. Also the problem that in the FEA which was heat-treated at 400degC, the current has decreased from 500 μA to 100 μA in about 100 hours occurred. As to these problems, it is necessary to continue the experiment further. (K.I.)