2015/01/07 by Andreas Kyritsakis, J. P. Xanthakis · 1 citation
Engineering · Materials Science · Mathematics · #Advancements in Semiconductor Devices and Circuit Design #Carbon Nanotubes in Composites #Diamond and Carbon-based Materials Research #Common emitter #Curvature #Field (mathematics) #Field electron emission #Nanoscopic scale #Limit (mathematics) #Physics #Limiting #Conductor #Mathematical analysis #Mathematics #Geometry #Electron #Quantum mechanics #Optoelectronics #Engineering #Pure mathematics
paper · pdf · doi:10.1098/rspa.2014.0811
openalex publication_date 2015/01/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15
In this paper, we derive analytically from first principles a generalized Fowler–Nordheim (FN) type equation that takes into account the curvature of a nanoscopic emitter and is generally applicable to any emitter shape provided that the emitter is a good conductor and no field-dependent changes in emitter geometry occur. The traditional FN equation is shown to be a limiting case of our equation in the limit of emitters of large radii of curvature R. Experimental confirmation of the validity of our equation is given by the data of three different groups. Upon applying our equation to experimental FN plots complying with the above limitations, one may deduce (i) R and (ii) standard field emission parameters—e.g. enhancement factor—with better accuracy than by using the FN equation.