EP0044239B1 - Bildverstärkerröhre mit Mikrokanälen und solch eine Röhre enthaltende Bildaufnahmeeinheit - Google Patents

Bildverstärkerröhre mit Mikrokanälen und solch eine Röhre enthaltende Bildaufnahmeeinheit Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0044239B1
EP0044239B1 EP81401034A EP81401034A EP0044239B1 EP 0044239 B1 EP0044239 B1 EP 0044239B1 EP 81401034 A EP81401034 A EP 81401034A EP 81401034 A EP81401034 A EP 81401034A EP 0044239 B1 EP0044239 B1 EP 0044239B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tube
photocathode
electrode
image intensifier
getter
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP81401034A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0044239A1 (de
Inventor
Yves Beauvais
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Thales SA
Original Assignee
Thomson CSF SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Thomson CSF SA filed Critical Thomson CSF SA
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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J31/00—Cathode ray tubes; Electron beam tubes
    • H01J31/08—Cathode ray tubes; Electron beam tubes having a screen on or from which an image or pattern is formed, picked up, converted, or stored
    • H01J31/50—Image-conversion or image-amplification tubes, i.e. having optical, X-ray, or analogous input, and optical output
    • H01J31/501—Image-conversion or image-amplification tubes, i.e. having optical, X-ray, or analogous input, and optical output with an electrostatic electron optic system
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J29/00—Details of cathode-ray tubes or of electron-beam tubes of the types covered by group H01J31/00
    • H01J29/94—Selection of substances for gas fillings; Means for obtaining or maintaining the desired pressure within the tube, e.g. by gettering

Definitions

  • the invention relates to image intensifier tubes comprising a micro-channel element.
  • the object of the invention is to improve this stability and to increase the life of the tube.
  • the present invention therefore relates to an image intensifier tube comprising, situated at the ends of a vacuum enclosure, an inlet window and an outlet window in which are respectively incorporated a photocathode and a luminescent screen and, arranged between these two windows, an electrode system ensuring the acceleration towards the screen of the electrons emitted by the photocathode, under the effect of this radiation and a micro-channel element placed between the electrode system and the screen at proximity to the latter, getters being arranged at the periphery of some of the electrodes of said system, characterized in that each electrode on which a getter is disposed is made of two parts electrically insulated from one another between which is mounted the getter.
  • the electronic optics ensures the acceleration and the transfer of the electrons emitted by each point of the photocathode towards a homologous point of the wafer 4; this electron transfer is accompanied by an image inversion, as shown by the drawing of the electron brush (curved arrows, without mark), corresponding to one of these points.
  • the electronic optical device consists of several electrodes, the two main ones of which have been shown in the figure, namely the focusing electrode and the correction electrode; these electrodes bear the marks 30 and 31 respectively.
  • the secondary electrons are accelerated and focused towards the different points of the luminescent screen an electric field established between the wafer 4 and the screen 5; the figure shows, without reference mark, the cone of impact, on the screen, of the electrons of a channel, cone of which we have, for clarity, deliberately exaggerated the angle at the top.
  • These impacts form on the screen a bright image corresponding to the incident image.
  • inlet window and that of the tube outlet window have not been specified in the drawings. We only retained the presence of the photocathode in the first and of the luminescent screen in the second, between which takes place the path of electrons produced by the photocathode, or photoelectrons, and which are the only elements necessary for the comprehension of the invention.
  • These windows may include other elements, such as optical fiber wafers or scintillators in the case of incident radiation outside the visible spectrum, as known in the art.
  • Such a tube makes it possible to obtain on its output screen an image with high luminance, thanks to the energy communicated electrons by the potentials applied on the one hand, and to the multiplication ensured by the wafer of micro-channels on the other hand .
  • This property is used in many devices for the observation of dimly lit scenes, night scenes in particular.
  • FIG. 2 gives one of the most common examples of this distribution of potentials in an intensifier tube such as that described; the marks are used here to designate the average levels of the electrodes of the previous figure.
  • the electrons emitted by the photocathode are first accelerated then slightly slowed down, but reach the entry of the micro-channels with a positive acceleration; on the other hand, the ions created in these micro-channels, and whose potential is at most equal to that of the exit face 42 (for the electrons) of the wafer 4, are slowed down between the opposite face, entry, 40 thereof and the focusing electrode 30; their energy is insufficient for them to reach this electrode, which pushes them towards the micro-channel plate, towards the walls of the enclosure 20 and more particularly towards the correction electrode 31, the potential of which is the most negative. They fail to cross the top A of the potential profile.
  • correction electrode 31 the role of the correction electrode 31 is to standardize the angle of incidence of the electron brushes on the wafer of micro-channels, in order to standardize the gain, and to reduce the distortion of the picture.
  • the previous arrangement has the advantage of avoiding the degradation of the photocathode by a part of the ions present in the tube; on the other hand, it does not limit the rise in pressure in the tube following the appearance of these ions and which indirectly has the same effects.
  • a getter material is placed on the parts of the tube to which the ions preferentially go, located in the last part of the path followed by the electrons, in particular on the correction electrode 31 and on the surface of the focusing electrode 30 opposite the micro-plate. channels 4, of the example described, under the conditions which will be explained.
  • Figure 3 shows, without limitation, an embodiment of the invention; in this figure, the left part, 3 (a) represents a half-section of a microchannel image intensifier of the known art, and the right part, 3 (b) the other half-section of the same tube modified by the invention.
  • the figure shows three possible modifications, but not necessarily carried out simultaneously in the same tube of the invention.
  • the focusing electrode 30 is modified so as to allow the electrical supply of a getter; it is provided in two parts 301 and 302; the getter 50 is placed between these two parts, advantageously curved so as to serve as masks protecting against evaporation the various constituent parts 21-24 of the insulating envelope 20, as well as the micro-channel plate 4, of one side and photocathode 1 on the other, in the case of an evaporable getter with tantalum, titanium, barium, etc.
  • the same arrangement can be used in the case of a non-evaporable getter, aluminum zirconium oxide for example; in this case the getter is supplied between the two parts of the electrode to which it serves as an electrical connection, by connections, 51 and 52 in the figure.
  • getter is arranged at the level of the correction electrode 31 also made in two parts 311 and 312 preferably curved for the same reasons; the getter carries the mark 60 in the figures and its connections the marks 61 and 62.
  • the prior art provides in some cases for housing a getter 80 at the photocathode connection, connection which consists, according to widespread practice, in a cup 70 welded to the input window 2; this getter is fed through the queusot 90 through the passage 100.
  • a screen 110 is provided to protect the near photocathode against evaporation of the getter.
  • the invention provides, to do without such a getter, which is placed at a location in the tube where the formation of ions is unlikely.
  • the tip, or cathode connection is thus simplified and its diameter reduced, all other things being equal, compared to the case of tubes of the prior art. Such a reduction in the radial size of the tubes constitutes an advantage of the invention
  • Such tubes are also used in medical radiology to reduce the intensity of X-ray irradiation, where they are known as X-ray image intensifiers.
  • the input window includes, in front of the pho tocathode, a scintillator attached to it. They are also frequently incorporated into shooting chains comprising several other tubes; they are placed at various levels in these chains, in which their role is to increase the level of the output signal.
  • the invention also covers such assemblies.

Landscapes

  • Image-Pickup Tubes, Image-Amplification Tubes, And Storage Tubes (AREA)

Claims (3)

1. Bildverstärkerröhre mit einem Eintrittsfenster (2) und einem Austrittsfenster (6), die an den Enden einer Vakuumhülle (20) angeordnet sind und von denen das erste mit einer Photokatode (1) und das zweite mit einem Leuchtschirm (5) versehen ist, wobei zwischen diesen beiden Fenstern ein Elektrodensystem (3) angeordnet ist, welches die Beschleunigung der von der Photokatode unter der Einwirkung einer Strahlung emittierten Elektronen gegen den Schirm gewährleistet, und mit einem Mikrokanal-Element (4), das zwischen dem Elektrodensystem und dem Schirm in der Nähe des letzteren angeordnet ist, wobei Getter am Umfang bestimmter Elektroden des Systems angeordnet sind, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß jede Elektrode, an der ein Getter angeordnet ist, aus zwei elektrisch voneinander isolierten Teilen (301,302-311,312) gebildet ist, zwischen denen das Getter angeordnet ist.
2. Bildverstärkerröhre nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß diese Teile auf der Innenseite der Röhre in umgebogenen Teilen enden.
3. Bildverstärkerröhre nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Getter an einer Fokussierelektrode (30) und/oder einer Korrekturelektrode (31) angeordnet sind, die Bestandteil des genannten Systems (3) sind.
EP81401034A 1980-07-11 1981-06-26 Bildverstärkerröhre mit Mikrokanälen und solch eine Röhre enthaltende Bildaufnahmeeinheit Expired EP0044239B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR8015496 1980-07-11
FR8015496A FR2486712A1 (fr) 1980-07-11 1980-07-11 Tube intensificateur d'images a micro-canaux, et ensemble de prise de vues comprenant un tel tube

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0044239A1 EP0044239A1 (de) 1982-01-20
EP0044239B1 true EP0044239B1 (de) 1984-03-14

Family

ID=9244121

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP81401034A Expired EP0044239B1 (de) 1980-07-11 1981-06-26 Bildverstärkerröhre mit Mikrokanälen und solch eine Röhre enthaltende Bildaufnahmeeinheit

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US4489251A (de)
EP (1) EP0044239B1 (de)
JP (1) JPS5749152A (de)
DE (1) DE3162647D1 (de)
FR (1) FR2486712A1 (de)

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
IT1173865B (it) * 1984-03-16 1987-06-24 Getters Spa Metodo perfezionato per fabbricare dispositivi getter non evaporabili porosi e dispositivi getter cosi' prodotti
JP2559578Y2 (ja) * 1990-03-28 1998-01-19 株式会社島津製作所 イメージ・インテンシファイア
FR2688343A1 (fr) * 1992-03-06 1993-09-10 Thomson Tubes Electroniques Tube intensificateur d'image notamment radiologique, du type a galette de microcanaux.
JP4231123B2 (ja) * 1998-06-15 2009-02-25 浜松ホトニクス株式会社 電子管及び光電子増倍管
DE19921766C1 (de) * 1999-05-11 2001-02-01 Siemens Ag Röntgenbildverstärker und Verfahren zu seiner Herstellung
JP4832898B2 (ja) * 2006-01-04 2011-12-07 浜松ホトニクス株式会社 電子管
US10809393B2 (en) * 2015-04-23 2020-10-20 Fermi Research Alliance, Llc Monocrystal-based microchannel plate image intensifier

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL156974B (nl) * 1950-10-30 Mini Und Generaldirektor Der D Middenbufferkoppeling voor spoorwegvoertuigen.
US2880348A (en) * 1955-01-24 1959-03-31 Philco Corp Gettering units for electron tubes
BE575683A (fr) * 1958-02-14 1959-08-13 Rauland Corp Tube convertisseur d'images.
US3100274A (en) * 1959-12-17 1963-08-06 Raytheon Co Electron tube with electrode having titanium surface serving as getter
US3870917A (en) * 1971-05-10 1975-03-11 Itt Discharge device including channel type electron multiplier having ion adsorptive layer
US3868536A (en) * 1971-10-18 1975-02-25 Varian Associates Image intensifier tube employing a microchannel electron multiplier
US3816788A (en) * 1972-03-30 1974-06-11 Union Carbide Corp Getter device
US4295073A (en) * 1978-03-28 1981-10-13 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Microchannel plate-in-wall structure
FR2445612A1 (fr) * 1978-12-29 1980-07-25 Labo Electronique Physique Tube image a galettes de microcanaux comportant deux chambres separees et un getter etale en surface, et procede de construction dudit tube

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2486712B1 (de) 1983-06-10
EP0044239A1 (de) 1982-01-20
DE3162647D1 (en) 1984-04-19
JPS5749152A (en) 1982-03-20
US4489251A (en) 1984-12-18
FR2486712A1 (fr) 1982-01-15

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