Abstract: The disclosure is directed to image intensifier tube designs for field curvature aberration correction and ion damage reduction. In some embodiments, electrodes defining an acceleration path from a photocathode to a scintillating screen are configured to provide higher acceleration for off-axis electrons along at least a portion of the acceleration path. Off-axis electrons and on-axis electrons are accordingly focused on the scintillating screen with substantial uniformity to prevent or reduce field curvature aberration. In some embodiments, the electrodes are configured to generate a repulsive electric field near the scintillating screen to prevent secondary electrons emitted or deflected by the scintillating screen from flowing towards the photocathode and forming damaging ions.

Abstract: A vacuum encapsulated, hermetically sealed cathode capsule for generating an electron beam of secondary electrons, which generally includes a cathode element having a primary emission surface adapted to emit primary electrons, an annular insulating spacer, a diamond window element comprising a diamond material and having a secondary emission surface adapted to emit secondary electrons in response to primary electrons impinging on the diamond window element, a first high-temperature solder weld disposed between the diamond window element and the annular insulating spacer and a second high-temperature solder weld disposed between the annular insulating spacer and the cathode element.

Abstract: A vacuum encapsulated, hermetically sealed cathode capsule for generating an electron beam of secondary electrons, which generally includes a cathode element having a primary emission surface adapted to emit primary electrons, an annular insulating spacer, a diamond window element comprising a diamond material and having a secondary emission surface adapted to emit secondary electrons in response to primary electrons impinging on the diamond window element, a first cold-weld ring disposed between the cathode element and the annular insulating spacer and a second cold-weld ring disposed between the annular insulating spacer and the diamond window element. The cathode capsule is formed by a vacuum cold-weld process such that the first cold-weld ring forms a hermetical seal between the cathode element and the annular insulating spacer and the second cold-weld ring forms a hermetical seal between the annular spacer and the diamond window element whereby a vacuum encapsulated chamber is formed within the capsule.

Abstract: A vacuum encapsulated, hermetically sealed cathode capsule for generating an electron beam of secondary electrons, which generally includes a cathode element having a primary emission surface adapted to emit primary electrons, an annular insulating spacer, a diamond window element comprising a diamond material and having a secondary emission surface adapted to emit secondary electrons in response to primary electrons impinging on the diamond window element, a first cold-weld ring disposed between the cathode element and the annular insulating spacer and a second cold-weld ring disposed between the annular insulating spacer and the diamond window element. The cathode capsule is formed by a vacuum cold-weld process such that the first cold-weld ring forms a hermetical seal between the cathode element and the annular insulating spacer and the second cold-weld ring forms a hermetical seal between the annular spacer and the diamond window element whereby a vacuum encapsulated chamber is formed within the capsule.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electron emitting element, comprising: a first electrode; an insulating fine particle layer formed on the first electrode and composed of insulating fine particles; and a second electrode formed on the insulating fine particle layer, wherein the insulating fine particles are monodisperse fine particles, and when voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, electrons are discharged from the first electrode into the insulating fine particle layer and accelerated through the insulating fine particle layer to be emitted from the second electrode.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a cathodoluminescent capsule including at least one envelope, a cold cathode, an anode and a grid. The process comprises at least the steps of: depositing luminophore and reflective layers on an internal wall; depositing a conductive layer at least contacting the luminophore layer; providing a cap having a tube including at least three metal conductors, each being respectively welded to the anode, cathode and grid; assembling the cap with the envelope so as to form the capsule, the anode being in contact with the conductive layer and the luminophore layer opposed to the cathode; vacuuming the capsule via the tube; sealing the capsule by closing an end of the cap tube.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electron emitting element, comprising: a first electrode; an insulating fine particle layer formed on the first electrode and composed of insulating fine particles; and a second electrode formed on the insulating fine particle layer, wherein the insulating fine particles are monodisperse fine particles, and when voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, electrons are discharged from the first electrode into the insulating fine particle layer and accelerated through the insulating fine particle layer to be emitted from the second electrode.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a primary electrode and an acceleration electrode. The acceleration electrode or, alternatively, an additional secondary electrode contains a slot that extends obliquely through the acceleration electrode or through the secondary electrode. This measure allows secondary electrons to be produced in a highly effective manner.

Abstract: Primary electrons impinge upon an emitter section of an electron emitter for causing emission of the secondary electrons. The secondary electrons are outputted from the electron emitter. The secondary electrons emitted from the emitter section are accelerated in an electric field applied to the emitter section for generating an electron beam. The electron emitter has the emitter section having a plate shape, a cathode electrode formed on a front surface of the emitter section, an anode electrode formed on a back surface of the emitter section. A drive voltage from a pulse generation source is applied between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode through a resistor. The anode electrode is connected to GND. A collector electrode is provided above the cathode electrode. A bias voltage is applied to the collector electrode.

Abstract: An electron gun for generating an electron beam is provided, which includes a secondary emitter. The secondary emitter includes a non-contaminating negative-electron-affinity (NEA) material and emitting surface. The gun includes an accelerating region which accelerates the secondaries from the emitting surface. The secondaries are emitted in response to a primary beam generated external to the accelerating region. The accelerating region may include a superconducting radio frequency (RF) cavity, and the gun may be operated in a continuous wave (CW) mode. The secondary emitter includes hydrogenated diamond. A uniform electrically conductive layer is superposed on the emitter to replenish the extracted current, preventing charging of the emitter. An encapsulated secondary emission enhanced cathode device, useful in a superconducting RF cavity, includes a housing for maintaining vacuum, a cathode, e.g.

Abstract: The cathode for photo-electron emission 5 is comprised of an alkali metal containing layer 5d made of material for emitting photo-electrons by the entry of light or for emitting secondary electrons by the entry of electrons, such as particles which consist of an alkali antimony compound, on an Ni electrode substrate 5c on which an Al layer 5b is deposited, and has an intermediate layer 5a made of carbon nano-tubes between the alkali metal containing layer 5d and the Ni electrode substrate 5c, therefore the defect density inside the particles is decreased, and the recombining probability of electrons and holes drops remarkably, which improves the quantum efficiency.

Abstract: A charged particle beam method and apparatus use a primary electron beam to irradiate a specimen so as to induce the specimen to emit secondary and backscattered electrons carrying information about topographic and material structure of the specimen, respectively. The specimen may be an article to be inspected. The electrons emitted by the specimen are deflected in the electric field of an electron mirror and detected using an electron detector of the apparatus. The electron mirror permits the detection of the secondary electrons traveling close to the optical axis of the apparatus and corrects the aberrations of the secondary electrons. In addition, the electron mirror accelerates the electrons improving the detection efficiency of the electron detector and enhancing the time-of-flight dispersion characteristics of the secondary electron collection. A second electron mirror can be provided to further control the direction of the electron's landing on the surface of the electron detector.

Abstract: An electron multiplication apparatus uses a matrix of dielectric particles interspersed with conductive particles. Typically a porous layer of metal oxide and relatively inert metal, the material provides high electron count rates while maintaining good temperature stability. The layer is located between a cathode and an anode that together provide desired voltage differentials. A mesh is also used on a side of the matrix layer opposite the cathode to conduct surface charge away from the matrix, while providing an intermediate voltage potential between that of the anode and the cathode. A voltage source is used to generate the voltage potentials for each of the anode, cathode and mesh layer, and the resulting electric fields provide a device that may be used in the detection of high energy particles and photons, such as x-rays. A preferred method of fabricating the material involves the codeposition of a metal prone to oxidation and a relatively inert metal to form a porous layer.

Abstract: A projection tube has a phosphor-coated faceplate at one end of a vacuum envelope and a plural-beam providing electron lens structure at the opposite end thereof. The electron lens structure includes four electrodes having axially-aligned apertures defining parallel channels for the plural electron beams to pass through to be focused and converged onto a small spot on the faceplate. The first and second electrodes of the electron lens structure shape the electron beams and the third and fourth electrodes thereof converge and focus the electron beams toward the same location on the faceplate. The potential applied to the fourth electrode is at or close to the potential at the phosphor, and is substantially higher than the potential applied to the third electrode. The lens structures of the third and fourth electrodes may each include an inner electron lens structure and an outer electron lens structure.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electron source forming substrate provided with an insulating material layer provided on the surface of a substrate, at which surface an electron-emitting device is disposed, wherein the insulating material layer has a plurality of partially exposed metal oxide particles on its surface. Also disclosed are an electron source including a substrate and an electron-emitting device arranged on the substrate, wherein the substrate is an electron source forming substrate as described above, and an image display apparatus including an envelope, an electron-emitting device arranged in the envelope, and an image display member adapted to display images through application of electrons from the electron-emitting device, wherein a substrate on which the electron-emitting device is arranged is an electron source forming substrate as described above.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an electron multiplier is provided. The method consists of depositing a random channel layer on a substrate such that the random channel layer is capable of producing a cascade secondary electron emission in response to an incident electron in the presence of an electric field.

Abstract: A mask structure of a color picture tube includes a number of grid wires stretched over a frame in the same direction and separated from one another, and a damp wire stretched to traverse the number of grid wires in contact with the number of grid wires. The damp wire is formed of a tungsten core wire coated with a secondary emission semiconductor material layer. Thus, art asymmetrical electron lens is formed by a potential difference generated between the grid wire and the damp wire, so that an electron beam having passed through a spacing between the grid wires is deflected in a converging direction. Therefore, the electron beam is guided onto a zone of a phosphor screen shaded by the damp wire. Accordingly, a black line, which would otherwise appear because the electron beam is shielded by the damp wire, becomes inconspicuous. Namely, the display quality is elevated.

Abstract: A cathode-luminescent panel lamp (20) includes an evacuated tube (21) having a phosphor coating (25) on the inside surface of a face plate (24). An electron gun (28) is arranged to discharge at least one conical beam of electrons toward the coating to form an electron cloud within the tube. Shaping electrodes (29,30) positioned within the tube distribute and normalize the electron density of the cloud as a function of the angle (.theta.). The electrons pass through a field-separating mesh (39) to impinge upon a secondary emission mesh (40), which amplifies the electron density. The amplified electrons excite the phosphor coating to produce light of substantially-constant intensities across the face plate. The improved lamp may be used to back-light an LCD or in a stadium display.

Abstract: A pulse generator for producing high-energy, subnanosecond electromagnetic pulses. The generator comprises a pulsed cathode assembly (160) which includes a microchannel-plate electron multiplier (150) triggered by a low-intensity, pulsed electron beam. An intense, pulsed electron beam obtained from the cathode assembly is directed through aperture (71) in waveguiding structure (170). It generates electromagnetic pulses, which are carried by the waveguiding structure to load (130).

Abstract: Scanning electron microscopy apparatus employing a detector to detect emission of electrons resulting from the impingement of electrons of an electron beam on an object being viewed, the apparatus including an electron beam source providing the electron beam, a magnet providing a magnetic field to direct the electron beam to the object, a first microchannel plate having a first hole through it aligned with the electron beam, a first surface directed toward the electron beam source for receiving low energy electrons that have been emitted from the object and directed through the hole by the magnetic field, a second surface on the opposite side of side first microchannel plate for discharge of multiplied electrons, and a first anode facing the second surface, the first anode being positioned to collect electrons discharged from the second surface.

Abstract: In a display tube a laminated dynode channel plate electron multiplier (16) produces at its channel outputs (50) a current-multiplied beam (34) in response to an electron beam being scanned thereover which is accelerated towards a phosphor screen (14) comprising repeating groups of different color phosphor elements and selectively directed onto particular elements by color selection deflector electrodes (38,40) adjacent the channel outputs. To provide increased horizontal resolution capability the exits (50) of the apertures in the final dynode are elongate in shape, other dynodes having circular apertures, and arranged parallel to one another with their longer axes extending vertically to form a comparatively narrow horizontal width output beam. The final dynode aperture entrances may be similarly elongate or circular with the apertures having a re-entrant profile.

Abstract: A crossed-field amplifier has a cathode in the form of a P-N junction semiconductor which is biased to the conductive state to cause the crossed-field amplifier to amplify. The P and N regions of the semiconductor are connected to an energy source which is pulsed to produce conduction in the P-N junction and thereby allow secondary emission from the cathode. A reverse bias voltage prevents secondary emission from the cathode. The tube requires only low voltages to be applied to the cathode P-N junction to completely deactivate the crossed-field amplifier tube without requiring the removal of the RF drive pulse applied to the cathode- or anode-slow-wave circuit and without requiring the removal of the DC high voltage power supply which therefore need not be pulsed.

Abstract: An electron beam-addressed liquid crystal cell for a light valve. The cell (40) includes liquid crystal material (42) sandwiched between two substrates (16, 44). One substrate (44) is addressed by the electron beam (60a, 60b) and includes a coating (51) having a rate of secondary electron emission greater than the characteristic rate of secondary electron emissions of the base layer (49) of the substrate (44). The enhanced secondary electron emission characteristics of the coated substrate (44) permit the cell to be modulated with relatively lower electron beam current for correspondingly higher image resolution.

Abstract: A cathode ray tube comprising a channel plate electron multiplier structure disposed between a source of electrons and an output device such as a cathodeoluminescent screen. The electron multiplier comprises a stack of n apertured dynodes which are separated from each other and are arranged in cascade with the apertures in adjacent dynodes aligned to form channels. In order to improve the resolution of the electron multiplier while enabling the dynodes to be aceptably rigid the axial profile of the apertures in at least the second to the (n-1)th dynodes is such that it comprises a re-entrant portion within the thickness of the dynode with the axially spaced ends of the re-entrant portion being spaced from the respective opposite surfaces of the dynode by a convergent or cylindrical input portion and a divergent or cylindrical output portion.

Abstract: In a laminated channel plate electron multiplier, an apertured metal sheet (32) is disposed at a small distance (30 .mu.m) from the outer surface of the input dynode and is used to provide a small negative field for turning back stray secondary electrons which have sufficient energy to follow trajectories across the input side of the input dynode. More particularly, the areas between the apertures of the input dynode (22) are masked by a material (34) having a secondary electron emission coefficient of less than 2, which material (34) is provided on the outer surface of the apertured metal sheet (32), the metal sheet (32) being spaced from the input dynode (22) by an insulating material (36). A potential of the order of -10 V relative to the input dynode is applied to the apertured metal sheet (32).

Abstract: An information storage device having an evacuated envelope containing writing means which is adapted to produce, in response to an input signal and by causing emission of secondary electrons, a charge pattern on a storage target disposed within the envelope. The storage target includes a semiconducting layer and a storage layer providing alternate semiconducting regions and storage regions. The semiconducting layer consists essentially of semiconductor material of substantially single conductivity type and the storage regions consist essentially of a secondary electron-emissive insulating compound of a semiconductor material. One of the two layers is interrupted and exposes portions of the other layer. A collector electrode disposed within the envelope intercepts the secondary electrons emitted by the target. The target is provided with means for applying electrical potential thereto and extracting signals therefrom.

Abstract: A secondary electron multiplication target for a secondary electron conduction type which comprises a conductive support layer and a secondary electron emitting layer deposited on the support layer. This secondary electron emitting layer is a porous layer consisting of fine particles of a humidity proof substance having higher melting point and electric resistance than MgO, for example, MgF.sub.2. This porous layer consists mainly of primary particles each having an average particle size of scores of angstroms to five hundred angstroms.

Abstract: A substrate bearing a secondary-emissive layer which consists of a cermet consisting of a readily evaporable metal, for example Au, Ag, Cu, Ni, Cr, Al or a nickel-chromium alloy, and an alkali metal aluminium fluoride, for example cryolite. The substrate material may be, for example mild steel, or a synthetic plastics material. It is possible to make large dynodes when using mild steel substrates which are much cheaper than silver-magnesium or beryllium-copper and the secondary-emissive layer does not require an activation treatment when incorporated in an electric discharge tube.

Abstract: The combination of a storage tube and a feedback circuit operatively intercoupled such that as data is read from the storage tube the level of stored charge on each incremental area of the dielectric of the tube's target is sensed and the potential between the cathode and target conductor is automatically adjusted as a function of the sensed charge level. This feedback control of the aforementioned potential allows for the use of a larger differential charging range on the target's dielectric, which in turn provides a substantial improvement in the fidelity of data processing through the storage tube.