Cold cathode discharge device with grid control
US4247804A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 4, 1979 |
| Grant date | Jan 27, 1981 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 4, 1999 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J17/44
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A cross-field discharge plasma is used to supply charge carriers for a grid controlled cold cathode discharge device. A dc magnetic field is employed to sustain the crossed-field discharge when the source grid is active. The device comprises an anode, a cathode, a source grid, and in alternate embodiments, additional control grids. Preferably the magnetic field exists only in the source grid-cathode space and penetrates only weakly, or not at all, into other electrode gaps or spaces. The source grid-cathode plasma is effectively a source of charge carriers, electrons or ions, controlled by the source grid current, the anode current being an approximate linear function of source grid current within limits, and/or controllable by adjustment of control grid potentials.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.