Nanopillar Arrays on Semiconductor Membranes as Electron Emission Amplifiers

TL;DR

This paper reports the fabrication of a silicon nanopillar array on a membrane that acts as an electron emission amplifier, showing increased secondary electron yield and potential for enhanced detector applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel transmission-type electron multiplier using silicon nanopillars on a membrane, demonstrating increased electron yield and potential for further optimization.

Findings

Secondary electron yield is 1.8 times higher than flat silicon membrane.

Electric field enhances electron gain slightly.

Potential for higher gain with optimized dimensions and field emission.

Abstract

A new transmission-type electron multiplier was fabricated from silicon-on-insulator (SOI) material by integrating an array of one dimensional (1D) silicon nanopillars onto a two dimensional (2D) silicon membrane. Primary electrons are injected into the nanopillar-membrane system from the flat surface of the membrane, while electron emission from the other side is probed by an anode. The secondary electron yield (SEY) from nanopillars is found to be about 1.8 times that of plane silicon membrane. This gain in electron number is slightly enhanced by the electric field applied from the anode. Further optimization of the dimensions of nanopillars and membrane and application of field emission promise an even higher gain for detector applications and allow for probing of electronic/mechanical excitations in nanopillar-membrane system excited by incident particles or radiation.