Electron tube having a diamond field emitter
US5959400A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 14, 1997 |
| Grant date | Sep 28, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 14, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2329/00
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention relates to an electron tube having a configuration which can maintain its operating stability for a long period of time. The electron tube comprises, at least, a field emitter which is made of diamond or a material mainly composed of diamond and has a surface terminated with hydrogen, and a sealed envelope for accommodating the diamond field emitter. Due to the hydrogen termination, the electron affinity of the diamond field emitter is set to a negative state. Also, hydrogen is enclosed within the sealed envelope. Due to this configuration, the hydrogen-terminated state of the diamond field emitter surface is stabilized, and the electron affinity of the diamond emitter is restrained from changing for a long period of time.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.