Patent · US Expired

Nonthermionic hollow anode gas discharge electron beam source

US4647818A · kind A · utility

44Cited by
11References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 16, 1984
Grant dateMar 3, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 16, 2004

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/077
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Apparatus and method for producing a plurienergetic electron beam source. The apparatus includes a housing which functions as an anode, the same having an electron emission window covered by an electron-transparent grid, a cathode body mounted within the housing and electrically isolated therefrom, the spacing between the cathode body and grid being sufficient to permit a gas discharge to be maintained between them having a plasma region substantially thinner than the cathode sheath region. The method involves the simultaneous feeding of gas between a cathode body and an anode grid, applying voltages of about 10 kV to 20 kV and regulating the gas feed rate and the voltage to maintain a discharge condition of the character described above.

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