Patent · US Expired

Wire-ion-plasma electron gun employing auxiliary grid

US4642522A · kind A · utility

32Cited by
3References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 18, 1984
Grant dateFeb 10, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 18, 2004

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J3/021
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An improved Wire-Ion-Plasma Electron-gun (WIP E-gun) is disclosed, having a very rapid electron beam current interruption capability. An auxiliary grid is employed to provide a potential barrier to the reservoir of plasma ions in the ionization chamber, thereby containing these ions in the chamber after the wire anode is turned "OFF". The E-gun current fall time is reduced to the time required for the plasma potential to fall in the ionization chamber after the wire anode is turned "OFF". The WIP E-gun current fall time is reduced, from greater than fifteen microseconds for devices not employing the invention, to less than two microseconds.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.