Patent ID: 7239076

Claim:
A method for fabricating a self-aligned gated field emission device, comprising: providing a substrate having a surface and a predetermined thickness; disposing a porous layer having a first surface and a first predetermined thickness on the surface of the substrate, wherein the porous layer defines a plurality of substantially cylindrical channels, the plurality of substantially cylindrical channels aligned substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate; disposing a filler material within at least a portion of the substantially cylindrical channels defined by the porous layer to form a plurality of substantially rod-shaped structures, wherein the plurality of substantially rod-shaped structures comprises a material different from that of the substrate; selectively removing a portion of the porous layer to form a second surface and a second predetermined thickness of the porous layer; disposing a gate dielectric layer having a surface and a predetermined thickness on the second surface of the porous layer and a portion of each of the plurality of substantially rod-shaped structures; disposing a conductive layer having a predetermined thickness on the surface of the gate dielectric layer; and selectively removing a portion of the conductive layer, the gate dielectric layer, and each of the plurality of substantially rod-shaped structures.