Novel concepts of vacuum microelectronic microwave devices with field emitter cathode arrays

Abstract

Field emitter arrays (FEA) are promising electron sources for vacuum microelectronic microwave amplifiers and oscillators. In this paper, microelectronic analogs of “classic” microwave devices are considered. Traveling wave klystrons, klystrodes and cross-field amplifiers with FEA are described. Basic output parameters (gain, efficiency, etc.) of these devices are calculated. A model of a self-excited vacuum microtriode oscillator is developed. The oscillator is studied numerically, as well as by experimental investigation of the circuit analog model. Chaotic generation in the oscillator under external harmonic driving is analyzed. The rf interaction with the electron beam modulated by the field emission in a twystrode is investigated using a particle-in-cell code and a one-dimensional nonlinear code.