Nanofabrication with lanthanum hexaboride (LaB 6 ) for nanoscale vacuum electronics

We present the first nano- and microfabrication of vacuum microelectronic components incorporating lanthanum hexaboride (LaB 6 ), a refractory low work function material with high electron emissivity. We design novel fabrication processes which yield ultra-low fill factor ( 6 electrodes and nanoscale LaB 6 tips over ∼mm2 scales. Finally, we briefly discuss future applications in which such nanostructures will be applicable and ongoing R&D challenges with nanoscale grids.