Vacuum microelectronic devices with
carbon nanotube films,
layers, ribbons and fabrics are provided. The present invention discloses microelectronic vacuum devices including
triode structures that include three-terminals (an emitter, a grid and an
anode), and also higher-order devices such as tetrodes and pentodes, all of which use carbon nanotubes to form various components of the devices. In certain embodiments, patterned portions of
nanotube fabric may be used as grid / gate components, conductive traces, etc.
Nanotube fabrics may be suspended or conformally disposed. In certain embodiments, methods for stiffening a
nanotube fabric layer are used. Various methods for applying, selectively removing (e.g.
etching), suspending, and stiffening vertically- and horizontally-disposed
nanotube fabrics are disclosed, as are
CMOS-compatible fabrication methods. In certain embodiments, nanotube fabric triodes provide high-speed, small-scale, low-power devices that can be employed in
radiation-intensive applications.