Stable Field Emission of Electrons from Liquid Metal

Abstract

Experiments were carried out on the field emission of electrons from Ga-In-Sn liquid alloy and a stable DC emission was observed in addition to the pulse explosion already reported. The emission stability depended on the apex radius of the tungsten tip to which the liquid metal adhered to form a cone. When we used an emitter with an apex radius smaller than 0.5 µm, Fowler-Nordheim plots in the DC mode were heavily influenced by the adhesive state at its surface.