Patent · US Expired

Miniature X-ray device and method of its manufacture

US6546077B2 · kind B2 · utility

77Cited by
14References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 17, 2001
Grant dateApr 8, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 17, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2235/164
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An emitter for a miniature X-ray apparatus comprises an insulating shell, an anode, and a cathode. The insulating shell includes a conical brazing surface, brazed to a conical brazing surface on the anode. The braze consists of a pure titanium layer and a pure tin layer. During brazing, the pure metals react and bond to the insulating shell and create a titanium-tin alloy between the pure layers. Pure tin is sputtered from tin sputter target onto the exposed brazing surfaces of the cathode cap and the anode. The insulating shell is placed in a vacuum chamber of deposition applicator, which deposits an active metal onto the shell brazing surface. In a brazing oven, the anode is placed within insulating shell such that the anode conical brazing surface and the shell conical brazing surface are contacting and aligned with each other. During brazing, the cathode is brought into contact with the insulating shell. The sealed emitters are placed in a sputtering machine's vacuum chamber. A metal is sputtered from a sputtering target to form a metal layer on the exterior of insulating shell.

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