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Title: High-emission cold cathode

Abstract

A field-emission cathode having a multitude of field emission points for emitting a copious stream of electrons when subjected to a high field is described. The cathode is constructed by compressing a multitude of tungsten strips alternately arranged with molybdenum strips and copper ribbons or compressing alternately arranged copper plated tungsten and molybdenum strips, heating the arrangement to braze the tungsten and molybdenum strips together with the copper, machining and grinding the exposed strip edges of one side of the brazed arrangement to obtain a precisely planar surface, etching a portion of the molybdenum and copper to leave the edges of the tungsten strips protruding for electron emission, and subjecting the protruding edges of the tungsten strips to a high electric field to degas and roughen the surface to pnovide a large number of emitting points. The resulting structure is particularly useful as a cathode in a transversely excited gaseous laser where the cathode is mounted in a vacuum chamber for emitting electrons under the influence of a high electric field between the cathode and an extractor grid. The electrons pass through the extractor grid, a thin window in the wall of the laser chamber and into the laser chambermore » which is filled with a gaseous mixture of helium, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. A second grid is mounted on the gaseous side of the window. The electrons pass into the laser chamber under the influence of a second electric field between the second grid and an anode in the laser chamber to raise selected gas atoms of the gaseous mixture to appropriately excited states so that a subsequent coherent light beam passing through the mixture transversely to the electron stream through windows in opposite ends of the laser chamber stimulates the excited atoms to amplify the beam. (Official Gazette)

Inventors:
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Originating Research Org. not identified
OSTI Identifier:
4303994
Patent Number(s):
3789310
Assignee:
to United States Atomic Energy Commission
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01J - ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01S - DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT
NSA Number:
NSA-29-028442
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 1972 Sep 14; Other Information: H01s3/02; H01s3/09. Orig. Receipt Date: 30-JUN-74
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
N70800* -Physics-Controlled Thermonuclear Research- Thermonuclear Engineering & Equipment; *CATHODES- SPECIFICATIONS; ELECTRIC FIELDS; LASERS; MOLYBDENUM; TUNGSTEN

Citation Formats

Mancebo, L. High-emission cold cathode. United States: N. p., 1974. Web.
Mancebo, L. High-emission cold cathode. United States.
Mancebo, L. Tue . "High-emission cold cathode". United States.
@article{osti_4303994,
title = {High-emission cold cathode},
author = {Mancebo, L},
abstractNote = {A field-emission cathode having a multitude of field emission points for emitting a copious stream of electrons when subjected to a high field is described. The cathode is constructed by compressing a multitude of tungsten strips alternately arranged with molybdenum strips and copper ribbons or compressing alternately arranged copper plated tungsten and molybdenum strips, heating the arrangement to braze the tungsten and molybdenum strips together with the copper, machining and grinding the exposed strip edges of one side of the brazed arrangement to obtain a precisely planar surface, etching a portion of the molybdenum and copper to leave the edges of the tungsten strips protruding for electron emission, and subjecting the protruding edges of the tungsten strips to a high electric field to degas and roughen the surface to pnovide a large number of emitting points. The resulting structure is particularly useful as a cathode in a transversely excited gaseous laser where the cathode is mounted in a vacuum chamber for emitting electrons under the influence of a high electric field between the cathode and an extractor grid. The electrons pass through the extractor grid, a thin window in the wall of the laser chamber and into the laser chamber which is filled with a gaseous mixture of helium, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. A second grid is mounted on the gaseous side of the window. The electrons pass into the laser chamber under the influence of a second electric field between the second grid and an anode in the laser chamber to raise selected gas atoms of the gaseous mixture to appropriately excited states so that a subsequent coherent light beam passing through the mixture transversely to the electron stream through windows in opposite ends of the laser chamber stimulates the excited atoms to amplify the beam. (Official Gazette)},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 29 00:00:00 EDT 1974},
month = {Tue Jan 29 00:00:00 EDT 1974}
}

Patent:
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