Carbon-containing cathodes for enhanced electron emission
US6091186A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 13, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jul 18, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 13, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2201/342
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A cathode has electropositive atoms directly bonded to a carbon-containing substrate. Preferably, the substrate comprises diamond or diamond-like (sp.sup.3) carbon, and the electropositive atoms are Cs. The cathode displays superior efficiency and durability. In one embodiment, the cathode has a negative electron affinity (NEA). The cathode can be used for field emission, thermionic emission, or photoemission. Upon exposure to air or oxygen, the cathode performance can be restored by annealing or other methods. Applications include detectors, electron multipliers, sensors, imaging systems, and displays, particularly flat panel displays.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.