EP0362347B1 - Channel plate for an image intensifier tube, and process for producing a channel plate, and image intensifier tube provided with a channel plate - Google Patents

Channel plate for an image intensifier tube, and process for producing a channel plate, and image intensifier tube provided with a channel plate Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0362347B1
EP0362347B1 EP89904026A EP89904026A EP0362347B1 EP 0362347 B1 EP0362347 B1 EP 0362347B1 EP 89904026 A EP89904026 A EP 89904026A EP 89904026 A EP89904026 A EP 89904026A EP 0362347 B1 EP0362347 B1 EP 0362347B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
channel plate
conducting layer
output face
channels
plate according
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 - Lifetime
Application number
EP89904026A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0362347A1 (en
Inventor
Lieuwe W. Boskma
Leonard G. E. J. Van Nisselroy
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.)
PHOTONIS-DEP B.V.
Original Assignee
Optische Industrie de Oude Delft NV
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 Optische Industrie de Oude Delft NV filed Critical Optische Industrie de Oude Delft NV
Publication of EP0362347A1 publication Critical patent/EP0362347A1/en
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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
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J43/00—Secondary-emission tubes; Electron-multiplier tubes
    • H01J43/04—Electron multipliers
    • H01J43/06—Electrode arrangements
    • H01J43/18—Electrode arrangements using essentially more than one dynode
    • H01J43/24—Dynodes having potential gradient along their surfaces
    • H01J43/246—Microchannel plates [MCP]
    • 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
    • H01J31/506—Image-conversion or image-amplification tubes, i.e. having optical, X-ray, or analogous input, and optical output tubes using secondary emission effect
    • H01J31/507—Image-conversion or image-amplification tubes, i.e. having optical, X-ray, or analogous input, and optical output tubes using secondary emission effect using a large number of channels, e.g. microchannel plates

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a channel plate for an image intensifier tube, said channel plate having an input face and an output face, at least the output face being provided with a conducting layer the conducting layer continuing over at least a distance a > 2d into the channels, where d is the channel diameter.
  • Such a channel plate is known from US-A-3 974 411, which will be discussed later.
  • the invention relates also to a process for producing such a channel plate.
  • Image intensifier tubes comprise a cathode which under the influence of incident radiation, such as light or x-rays, emits electrons which under the influence of an electric field move towards an anode.
  • incident radiation such as light or x-rays
  • the electrons striking the anode form a perceptible initial image.
  • image intensifier tubes of the proximity focus type an essentially uniform electric field prevails between the cathode and the anode, and there are no focusing electrodes to focus the electrons emitted by the cathode on the anode.
  • a channel plate In modern image intensifier tubes of the proximity focus type a channel plate, mostly a multi-channel plate or MCP for short, is placed between the cathode and the anode to increase the image intensification.
  • a channel plate comprises a stack of hollow tubes, e.g. hollow glass fibres, extending between an input face and an output face.
  • the input face when mounted faces the cathode or carries the cathode, and the output face faces the anode.
  • Such a potential difference prevails between input face and output face that an electron entering a channel at the input face moves in the direction of the output face, in which process the number of electrons is increased by secondary emission effects. After leaving the channels the electrons are accelerated in the usual manner in the direction of the anode.
  • the input face and the output face of the channel plate are each provided with a conducting layer, which is capable of bringing the input face and the output face to a suitable uniform potential.
  • a suitable layer for the output face can be, e.g. a nickel-chromium layer, which is applied by vacuum deposition or another suitable technique.
  • a layer applied to the output face always penetrates slightly into the channels. The conductance of the wall of the end of the channels thus obtained is known as "end spoiling".
  • United States Patent Specification US-A-3 974 411 shows a channel plate the channels of which are slanted with respect tot the output face.
  • the ends of the endspoiling segments are slanted in the same direction and at least to the same degree of magnitude as are the channels themselves with respect to the output face.
  • the endspoiling segments extend an average of about three channel diameters into each channel.
  • the image resolution obtained from use of a channel plate is directly related to the diameter of the channels.
  • a channel plate whose channel diameter d is 10 ⁇ m and centre distance is 12 ⁇ m it is possible to achieve a separation capability of approx. 34 line pairs per millimetre.
  • the separation capability can be increased by reducing the channel diameter.
  • the object of the invention is to provide a channel plate which produces a greater image resolution with the channel diameter remaining the same.
  • a channel plate is characterized in that in the channels the conductivity of the conducting layer at each distance from the output face is substantially constant in circumferential direction and decreases gradually in axial direction of the channels from a certain distance from the output face with increasing distance from that output face.
  • the actual cathode 4 is on the inside of the cathode window and emits electrons under the influence of incident light or x-rays.
  • the emitted electrons are propelled in a known manner under the influence of an electric field (not shown) in the direction of an anode 5 disposed on the inside of the anode window.
  • a channel plate 6 extending approximately parallel to cathode and anode is placed between cathode and anode.
  • a large number of tubular channels which can have a diameter, e.g., of the order of 8 - 12 ⁇ m, extend between the input face 7 of the channel plate facing the cathode and the output face 8 of the channel plate facing the anode.
  • Fig. 2 shows, on an enlarged scale, a part of the channel plate 6 with two tubular channels 10, extending between the input face 7 and the output face 8.
  • the diameter of the channels is indicated by "d".
  • the output face 8 is provided with a conducting layer 11 for bringing the output face to a suitable potential.
  • the input face can also be provided with such a conducting layer, as indicated by 11a.
  • the separation capability of an image intensifier tube equipped with a channel plate can be increased by taking the measures described in the characterizing portion of claim 1. All this is shown at 12 in Fig. 2.
  • a channel plate with a conducting layer applied to the output face (end spoiling) was used and continued over a distance of 3d to 4d into the channels, an improvement of the separation capability of approx. 15 to 25% was achieved.
  • the thickness of the layer 12 decreases gradually towards the input face from the output face 8 or from an imaginary face some distance from the output face.
  • a conducting layer 12 continuing over a relatively great distance into the channels can be obtained by applying the layer by means of the so-called sputtering technique. It is also possible to form such a layer by vacuum deposition at a relatively high pressure, with the free path length of the molecules not being greater than the channel diameter d.
  • a suitable pressure value can be of the order of 1 Pa (10 -2 mbar).
  • a gradually or stepwise decreasing thickness of the layer 12 can be obtained by, for example, carrying out successive vacuum depositions at different pressures.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates a conducting layer obtained in such a manner in two stages.
  • a first layer 20 is applied to the output face 8 of a channel plate 6 by vacuum deposition at a relatively high pressure of, e.g., 1 Pa (10 -2 mbar).
  • a second layer 21 is then applied at a much lower pressure of, e.g., 10 -3 - 10 -4 Pa (10 -5 to 10 -6 mbar), but the sequence can also be the other way round.
  • the layers 20 and 21 can be formed of different material if desired.
  • the conducting layer can also be built up in more than two stages from a number of partial layers which are each vacuum deposited at a different pressure, or by a continuous vacuum deposition process at a gradually decreasing or increasing pressure. It is also possible, for example, to apply first a layer to the desired depth using a sputtering technique and then to apply one or more layers, of the same or different material, by vacuum deposition.
  • the conducting layer can be applied by vacuum deposition in stages by beginning at low pressure and increasing it in stages. The successive layers then extend to an increasing depth into the channels.
  • different materials can be used for the different partial layers.
  • Fig. 5 shows schematically, on an enlarged scale, an end spoiling built up in this way from three partial layers 24, 25, 26. Such an effect can be obtained by gradually increasing the pressure during the vacuum deposition.

Landscapes

  • Image-Pickup Tubes, Image-Amplification Tubes, And Storage Tubes (AREA)
EP89904026A 1988-03-24 1989-03-23 Channel plate for an image intensifier tube, and process for producing a channel plate, and image intensifier tube provided with a channel plate Expired - Lifetime EP0362347B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL8800743A NL8800743A (nl) 1988-03-24 1988-03-24 Kanaalplaat voor een beeldversterkerbuis, alsmede werkwijze voor het vervaardigen van een kanaalplaat, en beeldversterkerbuis voorzien van een kanaalplaat.
NL8800743 1988-03-24
PCT/EP1989/000318 WO1989009484A1 (en) 1988-03-24 1989-03-23 Channel plate for an image intensifier tube, and process for producing a channel plate, and image intensifier tube provided with a channel plate

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0362347A1 EP0362347A1 (en) 1990-04-11
EP0362347B1 true EP0362347B1 (en) 1996-08-21

Family

ID=19851995

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP89904026A Expired - Lifetime EP0362347B1 (en) 1988-03-24 1989-03-23 Channel plate for an image intensifier tube, and process for producing a channel plate, and image intensifier tube provided with a channel plate

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0362347B1 (nl)
JP (1) JP2812452B2 (nl)
KR (1) KR900701031A (nl)
DE (1) DE68926989T2 (nl)
NL (1) NL8800743A (nl)
WO (1) WO1989009484A1 (nl)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP4118965B2 (ja) * 1995-03-10 2008-07-16 浜松ホトニクス株式会社 マイクロチャネルプレート及び光電子増倍管
US6396049B1 (en) * 2000-01-31 2002-05-28 Northrop Grumman Corporation Microchannel plate having an enhanced coating
US6876802B2 (en) * 2002-11-26 2005-04-05 Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. Microchannel plate having microchannels with deep funneled and/or step funneled openings and method of manufacturing same
FR2964785B1 (fr) * 2010-09-13 2013-08-16 Photonis France Dispositif multiplicateur d'électrons a couche de nanodiamant.
CN110400738B (zh) * 2019-07-08 2021-10-22 北方夜视技术股份有限公司 一种提高微通道板分辨力的方法及其蒸镀方法

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3634712A (en) * 1970-03-16 1972-01-11 Itt Channel-type electron multiplier for use with display device
US3974411A (en) * 1970-09-20 1976-08-10 Rca Corporation Channel plate electron multiplier tube having reduced astigmatism
GB2202367A (en) * 1987-03-18 1988-09-21 Philips Electronic Associated Channel plate electron multipliers

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1989009484A1 (en) 1989-10-05
NL8800743A (nl) 1989-10-16
JPH02503612A (ja) 1990-10-25
DE68926989T2 (de) 1997-03-13
DE68926989D1 (de) 1996-09-26
KR900701031A (ko) 1990-08-17
JP2812452B2 (ja) 1998-10-22
EP0362347A1 (en) 1990-04-11

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