EP1615254A1 - Device and method for reducing glass flow during the manufacture of microchannel plates - Google Patents
Device and method for reducing glass flow during the manufacture of microchannel plates Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1615254A1 EP1615254A1 EP04400034A EP04400034A EP1615254A1 EP 1615254 A1 EP1615254 A1 EP 1615254A1 EP 04400034 A EP04400034 A EP 04400034A EP 04400034 A EP04400034 A EP 04400034A EP 1615254 A1 EP1615254 A1 EP 1615254A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- boule
- flat
- tube
- dimension
- glass
- 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.)
- Granted
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- 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
- H01J9/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture, installation, removal, maintenance of electric discharge tubes, discharge lamps, or parts thereof; Recovery of material from discharge tubes or lamps
- H01J9/02—Manufacture of electrodes or electrode systems
- H01J9/12—Manufacture of electrodes or electrode systems of photo-emissive cathodes; of secondary-emission electrodes
- H01J9/125—Manufacture of electrodes or electrode systems of photo-emissive cathodes; of secondary-emission electrodes of secondary emission electrodes
Definitions
- the present invention relates to inicrochannel plates for use with image intensifiers, and more specifically, to an arrangement for reducing glass flow during the manufacture of the plates.
- Microchannel plates are used as electron multipliers in image intensifiers. They are thin glass plates having an array of channels extending therethough and are located between a photocathode and a phosphor screen. An incoming electron from the photocathode enters the input side of the microchannel plate and strikes a channel wall. When voltage is applied across the microchannel plate these incoming or primary electrons are amplified, generating secondary electrons. The secondary electrons then exit the channel at the back end of the microchannel plate and are used to generate an image on the phosphor screen.
- fabricating a microchannel plate starts with a fiber draw processes.
- An etchable core rod is drawn within a non-etchable silicate tube to form a round fiber comprised of a core rod and cladding layer.
- These fibers are then bundled and drawn into an equilateral hexagonal shaped pre-form known as a multi-fiber bundle.
- Each multi-fiber bundle can contain over 10,000 core rod sites.
- These hex-shaped multi-fiber bundles are packed into a glass packing tube and non-etchable hexagonally shaped support rods are packed between the bundles and the cylindrical wall to form a boule that is fused together in a heating process to produce a solid boule of rim glass and fiber optics.
- Subsequent process steps entail slicing, beveling, and polishing the glass boule into plates. Afterwards, the plates are etched to remove the core rods within the plates to thus form the channels, each of which is defined by the cladding layer. The channels are then activated and metallized.
- Movement of the fibers closer together can lead to missing channel walls after the etch process because there will not be enough cladding glass to form a wall between the channels. These missing channel walls can lead to any number of defects such as ion barrier or film emission points, reduced structural integrity and ruptures.
- the present invention includes a hollow packing tube formed of generally non-etchable glass for use in fabricating a microchannel plate.
- the packing tube has a plurality of flat inner surfaces. Each surface is generally planar and extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube.
- the invention in another aspect, includes a boule having a plurality of optical fibers, each of which has a core formed of etchable material and a cladding layer formed of a non-etchable material and a plurality of support rods formed of a non-etchable material.
- the fibers and rods are disposed in the glass packing tube with the rods located between the fibers and the flat inner surfaces of the packing tube.
- the invention includes a method of forming a microchannel plate.
- the method includes the steps of providing a bundle of fibers having an etchable core surrounded by a non-etchable cladding, packing the fibers into a glass packing tube having a plurality of flat inner surfaces, positioning a plurality of support rods between the fibers and the flat inner surfaces of the packing tube to form a packed boule and fusing the packed boule into a solid boule.
- the present invention relates to a glass packing tube 550 used to form boules and which tube is configured to reduce the amount of glass flow when fusing the boule during manufacture of microchannel plates.
- the packing tube 550 according to the present invention is made of non-etchable glass and has multiple flat interior surfaces 501 through 512. These flat surfaces are planar surfaces and allow the packing of fiber bundles 16 and support rods 24 within the glass packing tube 550 while maintaining minimal open space (as compared to a round internal surface) between the outermost support rods and the interior surface of the packing tube. This minimization of open space is advantageous because it reduces the flow of glass during the fusion process that forms a fused boule.
- FIG. 3 shows a starting fiber 10 used to manufacture a microchannel plate for use as an electron multiplier.
- the fiber 10 includes a glass core 12 and a glass cladding 14 surrounding the core.
- the core 12 is made of a material that is etchable in an appropriate etching solution such that the core can be subsequently removed.
- the glass cladding 14 is made from a glass which has softening temperature substantially the same as the glass core 2.
- the glass material of the cladding 14 is different from that of the core 12 in that it has a higher lead content which renders it non-etchable under the conditions used for etching the core material.
- the cladding 14 remains after the etching of the glass core 12 and becomes a boundary for the channel 32 which is left.
- the optical fibers 10 may be formed in the following manner.
- An etchable glass rod and a cladding tube coaxially surrounding the rod are suspended vertically in a draw machine which incorporates a zone furnace.
- the temperature of the furnace is elevated to the softening temperature of the glass.
- the rod and tube fuse together and are drawn into the single fiber 10.
- the fiber 10 is fed into a traction mechanism where the speed is adjusted until the desired fiber diameter is achieved.
- the fiber 10 is then cut into shorter lengths.
- the multi-fiber or bundle 16 includes several thousand single fibers 10 each having the core 12 and the cladding 14 discussed above. This bundle 16 is then suspended vertically in a draw machine and drawn to again decrease the fiber diameter while still maintaining the hexagonal configuration of the individual fibers. The bundle 16 may then cut into shorter lengths.
- the packing tube 550 is made of glass material which is similar to the glass cladding 14 and it too is non-etchable when etching away the glass core 12.
- the glass packing tube 550 has a coefficient of expansion which is approximately the same as that of the fibers 10.
- the lead glass packing tube 550 will eventually become the solid rim border of the microchannel plate as shown in Fig. 2.
- a plurality of support structures are positioned in the glass packing tube 550 between the bundles 16 and flat interior surfaces 501 through 512 of the tube.
- the support structures may take the form of hexagonal rods of any material which is not etchable under the etching conditions used later to etch the core 12 and which has the necessary strength and the capability to fuse with the glass fibers.
- Such support structures are shown as support rods 24.
- the support rods may be one optical fiber or preferably a bundle of any number of fibers up to several hundred.
- the final geometric configuration and outside dimensions of one support rod is substantially the same as one bundle 16.
- the assembly thus formed by the fibers 10, support rods 24 and packing tube 550 is a packed boule 500 as shown in Fig. 5.
- the boule 500 is then suspended in a furnace and is connected to a vacuum system.
- the temperature of the furnace is elevated to the softening point of the material of the bundles 16 and the support rods 24.
- the bundles 16 fuse together, and the support rods 24 fuse to its adjacent bundles 16 and to the inner surface of the packing tube 550.
- the support rods 24 act as a cushion between the interior surface of the glass packing tube 550 and the bundles 16. This cushioning provides structural support so that the individual fibers 10 do not distort during the heat treatment. In addition, the cushioning effect of the support fibers 24 makes it possible to use a higher heat during fusion without causing distortion of the fibers 10.
- the fused boule is then sliced into thin cross-sectional plates.
- the planar end surfaces are ground and polished.
- the cores 12 of the fibers 10 are removed by etching with dilute hydrochloric acid. After etching, the high lead content glass claddings 14 will remain and form the channels 32.
- the support rods 24 will also remain solid and thus provide a good transition from the solid rim of the glass packing tube 550 to the microchannels 32.
- the plates After etching, the plates are placed in an atmosphere of hydrogen gas whereby the lead oxide of the non-etched lead glass is reduced to render the cladding electron emissive.
- a semiconducting layer is formed in each of the glass claddings 14 and this layer extends inwardly from the surface which bounds each microcharmel 32.
- Thin metal layers are applied as electrical contacts to each of the planar end surfaces of the microchannel plate which provide entrance and exit paths for electrons when an electric field is established across the microchannel plate by means of the metallized contacts.
- FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the packed boule 500 having a packing tube 550 formed with a plurality of flat or planar, inner surfaces 501-512 (in the case of Fig. 5, the number of flat surfaces is twelve).
- planar it is meant that each surface forms a plane and each plane, i.e., each surface extends longitudinally and parallel to the central axis 600 of the tube 550 and is generally perpendicular to the radius of the outer wall of the tube.
- These inner surfaces can be provided by either machining or mandrel shrinking (over a shaped mandrel) the inside surface of the glass packing tube. Such techniques for forming such glass tubes are known to those skilled in the art.
- the number of sides can vary and is dependant on the size and shape of the fused boule. In the embodiment disclosed herein where the boule has a generally circular cross-section, it is preferred that the tube 550 has at least 8 flat surfaces and preferably, 12 such surfaces.
- the support rods 24 can be pushed into the tube 550 in either bearing contact with the inner surfaces or in very close proximity thereto.
- the rods 24 have a hexagonal cross-section
- a flat surface of at least some of the rods bears on some of the flat inner surfaces 501 through 512 of the packing tube 550 and a vertex of some of the other rods bears on the flat surfaces.
- the open spaces between the rods 24 and tube 550 are primarily in the vicinity of the vertices between the flat inner surfaces 501 through 512.
- the facets or surfaces of the multi-sided glass packing tube have different widths (the dimension transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tube 550).
- FIG. 5 shows this feature.
- the variation in the width of the flat surfaces depends on the size and shape of the boule to be formed. In the embodiment disclosed herein, 2 different widths are disclosed.
- the widths surfaces 501, 503, 505, 507, 509 and 511 are the same dimension and are smaller than the widths of surfaces 502, 504, 506, 508, 510 and 512 and all of this latter group are the same dimension. For other desired boule shapes, different variations could be used.
- a comparison between the open spaces 300 of the prior art boule shown in FIC.1 and open spaces seen in FIG. 5 shows a large reduction of open area. This reduction can easily exceed 50% when compared to the prior art boule.
- Such reduction of open space is important because it reduces the flow of glass during the fusion process. Any level of glass flow can cause the core rods within each bundle of fibers within the boule to move. This movement of the core rods, as discussed above, has the potential to reduce the cladding dimension between each core site. If the clad glass thickness between two sites is reduced too much then there is a potential during the etching step for the clad glass to disappear completely. The absence of any clad glass between two core sites causes a missing channel wall within the plate which damages the performance of the plate.
- the reduction in glass flow which is concomitant with the reduction in open space increases the uniformity of the cores within each hex-shaped fiber bundle within the boule. This increase in uniformity produces a superior plate as compared to prior art packing tubes formed with round interior walls.
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to inicrochannel plates for use with image intensifiers, and more specifically, to an arrangement for reducing glass flow during the manufacture of the plates.
- Microchannel plates are used as electron multipliers in image intensifiers. They are thin glass plates having an array of channels extending therethough and are located between a photocathode and a phosphor screen. An incoming electron from the photocathode enters the input side of the microchannel plate and strikes a channel wall. When voltage is applied across the microchannel plate these incoming or primary electrons are amplified, generating secondary electrons. The secondary electrons then exit the channel at the back end of the microchannel plate and are used to generate an image on the phosphor screen.
- In general, fabrication of a microchannel plate starts with a fiber draw processes. An etchable core rod is drawn within a non-etchable silicate tube to form a round fiber comprised of a core rod and cladding layer. These fibers are then bundled and drawn into an equilateral hexagonal shaped pre-form known as a multi-fiber bundle. Each multi-fiber bundle can contain over 10,000 core rod sites. These hex-shaped multi-fiber bundles are packed into a glass packing tube and non-etchable hexagonally shaped support rods are packed between the bundles and the cylindrical wall to form a boule that is fused together in a heating process to produce a solid boule of rim glass and fiber optics. Subsequent process steps entail slicing, beveling, and polishing the glass boule into plates. Afterwards, the plates are etched to remove the core rods within the plates to thus form the channels, each of which is defined by the cladding layer. The channels are then activated and metallized.
- Because of the geometries involved in the process described above, when the fibers are fused together the distance between the cylindrical inner wall of the
glass packing tube 22 and thesupport rods 24 will vary. See Figure 1 of the drawing. In other words, the interstitial space (or open space) between the outer most fibers and the inner surface of the glass packing tube is not constant. This variation means that the inner wall of theglass tube 22 will touch somerods 24 sooner than others during the fusion operation. This time-dependent touching of the fibers will cause thefiber bundles 16 and their individual fibers within the packing scheme to shift during the time period which occurs during the fusion operation. This shifting of the fibers causes the core rods within the bundles to move from the location established by each prior to the beginning of the fusion operation. Movement of the fibers closer together can lead to missing channel walls after the etch process because there will not be enough cladding glass to form a wall between the channels. These missing channel walls can lead to any number of defects such as ion barrier or film emission points, reduced structural integrity and ruptures. - The present invention includes a hollow packing tube formed of generally non-etchable glass for use in fabricating a microchannel plate. The packing tube has a plurality of flat inner surfaces. Each surface is generally planar and extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube.
- In another aspect, the invention includes a boule having a plurality of optical fibers, each of which has a core formed of etchable material and a cladding layer formed of a non-etchable material and a plurality of support rods formed of a non-etchable material. The fibers and rods are disposed in the glass packing tube with the rods located between the fibers and the flat inner surfaces of the packing tube.
- In still another aspect, the invention includes a method of forming a microchannel plate. The method includes the steps of providing a bundle of fibers having an etchable core surrounded by a non-etchable cladding, packing the fibers into a glass packing tube having a plurality of flat inner surfaces, positioning a plurality of support rods between the fibers and the flat inner surfaces of the packing tube to form a packed boule and fusing the packed boule into a solid boule.
- The invention is better understood by reference to the detailed description that follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
- FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a packed boule in accordance with the prior art;
- FIG. 2 is a partial cut-away view of a microchannel plate;
- FIG. 3 is a partial view of a fiber used in fabricating microchannel plates;
- FIG. 4 is a partial view of a bundle of fibers shown in FIG. 1 for use in fabricating microchannel plates; and
- FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a packed boule in accordance with the present invention.
- The present invention relates to a
glass packing tube 550 used to form boules and which tube is configured to reduce the amount of glass flow when fusing the boule during manufacture of microchannel plates. More specifically, thepacking tube 550 according to the present invention is made of non-etchable glass and has multiple flatinterior surfaces 501 through 512. These flat surfaces are planar surfaces and allow the packing offiber bundles 16 and supportrods 24 within theglass packing tube 550 while maintaining minimal open space (as compared to a round internal surface) between the outermost support rods and the interior surface of the packing tube. This minimization of open space is advantageous because it reduces the flow of glass during the fusion process that forms a fused boule. - FIG. 3 shows a
starting fiber 10 used to manufacture a microchannel plate for use as an electron multiplier. Thefiber 10 includes aglass core 12 and a glass cladding 14 surrounding the core. Thecore 12 is made of a material that is etchable in an appropriate etching solution such that the core can be subsequently removed. Theglass cladding 14 is made from a glass which has softening temperature substantially the same as the glass core 2. The glass material of thecladding 14 is different from that of thecore 12 in that it has a higher lead content which renders it non-etchable under the conditions used for etching the core material. Thus, thecladding 14 remains after the etching of theglass core 12 and becomes a boundary for thechannel 32 which is left. - The
optical fibers 10 may be formed in the following manner. An etchable glass rod and a cladding tube coaxially surrounding the rod are suspended vertically in a draw machine which incorporates a zone furnace. The temperature of the furnace is elevated to the softening temperature of the glass. The rod and tube fuse together and are drawn into thesingle fiber 10. Thefiber 10 is fed into a traction mechanism where the speed is adjusted until the desired fiber diameter is achieved. Thefiber 10 is then cut into shorter lengths. - Several thousands of the cut lengths of the
single fiber 10 are then stacked into a graphite mold and heated in order to form amulti-fiber bundle 16 as shown in FIG. 4 wherein the cut lengths of thefibers 10 have fused into a hexagonal configuration. The hexagonal configuration provides a better stacking arrangement. - The multi-fiber or
bundle 16, includes several thousandsingle fibers 10 each having thecore 12 and thecladding 14 discussed above. Thisbundle 16 is then suspended vertically in a draw machine and drawn to again decrease the fiber diameter while still maintaining the hexagonal configuration of the individual fibers. Thebundle 16 may then cut into shorter lengths. - Numerous cut
multi-fiber bundles 16 are then packed into a precision inner diameter boreglass packing tube 550 as shown in FIG. 5. Thepacking tube 550 is made of glass material which is similar to the glass cladding 14 and it too is non-etchable when etching away theglass core 12. Theglass packing tube 550 has a coefficient of expansion which is approximately the same as that of thefibers 10. The leadglass packing tube 550 will eventually become the solid rim border of the microchannel plate as shown in Fig. 2. - In order to protect the
fibers 10 of eachbundle 16 during processing to form the microchannel plate, a plurality of support structures are positioned in theglass packing tube 550 between thebundles 16 and flatinterior surfaces 501 through 512 of the tube. The support structures may take the form of hexagonal rods of any material which is not etchable under the etching conditions used later to etch thecore 12 and which has the necessary strength and the capability to fuse with the glass fibers. Such support structures are shown assupport rods 24. The support rods may be one optical fiber or preferably a bundle of any number of fibers up to several hundred. The final geometric configuration and outside dimensions of one support rod is substantially the same as onebundle 16. The assembly thus formed by thefibers 10,support rods 24 and packingtube 550 is a packedboule 500 as shown in Fig. 5. - The
boule 500 is then suspended in a furnace and is connected to a vacuum system. The temperature of the furnace is elevated to the softening point of the material of thebundles 16 and thesupport rods 24. Thebundles 16 fuse together, and thesupport rods 24 fuse to itsadjacent bundles 16 and to the inner surface of thepacking tube 550. - During this heating step, the
support rods 24 act as a cushion between the interior surface of theglass packing tube 550 and thebundles 16. This cushioning provides structural support so that theindividual fibers 10 do not distort during the heat treatment. In addition, the cushioning effect of thesupport fibers 24 makes it possible to use a higher heat during fusion without causing distortion of thefibers 10. - The fused boule is then sliced into thin cross-sectional plates. The planar end surfaces are ground and polished. In order to form the
channels 32, thecores 12 of thefibers 10 are removed by etching with dilute hydrochloric acid. After etching, the high lead content glass claddings 14 will remain and form thechannels 32. Thesupport rods 24 will also remain solid and thus provide a good transition from the solid rim of theglass packing tube 550 to themicrochannels 32. - After etching, the plates are placed in an atmosphere of hydrogen gas whereby the lead oxide of the non-etched lead glass is reduced to render the cladding electron emissive. In this way, a semiconducting layer is formed in each of the
glass claddings 14 and this layer extends inwardly from the surface which bounds eachmicrocharmel 32. - Thin metal layers are applied as electrical contacts to each of the planar end surfaces of the microchannel plate which provide entrance and exit paths for electrons when an electric field is established across the microchannel plate by means of the metallized contacts.
- FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the packed
boule 500 having a packingtube 550 formed with a plurality of flat or planar, inner surfaces 501-512 (in the case of Fig. 5, the number of flat surfaces is twelve). By planar, it is meant that each surface forms a plane and each plane, i.e., each surface extends longitudinally and parallel to the central axis 600 of thetube 550 and is generally perpendicular to the radius of the outer wall of the tube. These inner surfaces can be provided by either machining or mandrel shrinking (over a shaped mandrel) the inside surface of the glass packing tube. Such techniques for forming such glass tubes are known to those skilled in the art. The number of sides can vary and is dependant on the size and shape of the fused boule. In the embodiment disclosed herein where the boule has a generally circular cross-section, it is preferred that thetube 550 has at least 8 flat surfaces and preferably, 12 such surfaces. - Because of the flat
inner surfaces 501 through 512, thesupport rods 24 can be pushed into thetube 550 in either bearing contact with the inner surfaces or in very close proximity thereto. In the preferred embodiment wherein therods 24 have a hexagonal cross-section, a flat surface of at least some of the rods bears on some of the flatinner surfaces 501 through 512 of thepacking tube 550 and a vertex of some of the other rods bears on the flat surfaces. In this way the open spaces between therods 24 andtube 550 are primarily in the vicinity of the vertices between the flatinner surfaces 501 through 512. Furthermore, to maximize the reduction of open space, it is sometimes preferable for a particular bundle dimension that the facets or surfaces of the multi-sided glass packing tube have different widths (the dimension transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tube 550). FIG. 5 shows this feature. The variation in the width of the flat surfaces depends on the size and shape of the boule to be formed. In the embodiment disclosed herein, 2 different widths are disclosed. The widths surfaces 501, 503, 505, 507, 509 and 511 are the same dimension and are smaller than the widths ofsurfaces - A comparison between the
open spaces 300 of the prior art boule shown in FIC.1 and open spaces seen in FIG. 5 shows a large reduction of open area. This reduction can easily exceed 50% when compared to the prior art boule. Such reduction of open space is important because it reduces the flow of glass during the fusion process. Any level of glass flow can cause the core rods within each bundle of fibers within the boule to move. This movement of the core rods, as discussed above, has the potential to reduce the cladding dimension between each core site. If the clad glass thickness between two sites is reduced too much then there is a potential during the etching step for the clad glass to disappear completely. The absence of any clad glass between two core sites causes a missing channel wall within the plate which damages the performance of the plate. Thus, the reduction in glass flow which is concomitant with the reduction in open space increases the uniformity of the cores within each hex-shaped fiber bundle within the boule. This increase in uniformity produces a superior plate as compared to prior art packing tubes formed with round interior walls. - Although the invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the invention. Furthermore, the use of a faceted inner-surfaced shaped packing tube can be used on any application that calls for the bundling of fibers within an outer tube where movement of the interior fibers is undesirable.
Claims (18)
- A boule for use in fabricating microchannel plates, the boule including:a hollow glass tube formed of non-etchable glass having a plurality of flat inner surfaces, each surface is generally planar and extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube.
- The boule of claim 1 further including:a plurality of optical fibers, each said optical fibers having a cladding layer formed of a non-etchable material and a core formed of etchable material, and a plurality of support rods formed of non-etchable material located between the flat inner surfaces and the optical fibers.
- The boule of claim 1 wherein the packing tube has at least 8 flat inner surfaces.
- The boule of claim 1 wherein the packing tube has 12 flat surfaces.
- The boule of claim 1 wherein the width of the flat surfaces vary.
- The boule of claim 1 wherein the width of each of a first plurality of flat surfaces has a first dimension and the width of each of a second plurality of flat surfaces has a second dimension different than the first dimension.
- A boule in accordance with claim 6 wherein the first dimension is smaller than the second dimension.
- The boule of claim 2 wherein the fibers, rods and packing tube are fused together.
- The boule of claim 2 wherein the support rods have a cross-sectional shape including a flat surface for engaging the flat inner surfaces of the tube.
- A microchannel plate formed from the boule of claim 8.
- A method of forming a microchannel plate, said method comprising the steps of:providing a bundle of fibers wherein, each fiber has an etchable core surrounded by a non-etchable cladding;packing a plurality of said bundles into a hollow packing tube formed of non-etchable material and which has a plurality of flat inner surfaces;positioning a plurality of support rods between said fibers and said flat inner surface to form a packed boule; andfusing the fibers, packing tube and support rods.
- The method of claim 11 wherein the glass tube has at least 8 flat surfaces.
- The method of claim 11 wherein the glass tube has 12 flat surfaces.
- The method of claim 11 wherein the width of the flat surfaces vary.
- The method of claim 11 wherein the width of each a first plurality of flat surfaces has a first dimension and the width of each of a second plurality of flat surfaces has a second dimension different then the first dimension.
- The method of claim 15 wherein the first dimension is small than the second dimension.
- The method of claim 11 wherein the support rods have a cross-sectional shape including a flat surface and wherein at least some of the flat surfaces of the support rods engage the flat inner surfaces of the tube.
- The microchannel plate formed by the method claim 11.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP20040400034 EP1615254B1 (en) | 2004-07-05 | 2004-07-05 | Device and method for reducing glass flow during the manufacture of microchannel plates |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP20040400034 EP1615254B1 (en) | 2004-07-05 | 2004-07-05 | Device and method for reducing glass flow during the manufacture of microchannel plates |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1615254A1 true EP1615254A1 (en) | 2006-01-11 |
EP1615254B1 EP1615254B1 (en) | 2008-12-24 |
Family
ID=34932034
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP20040400034 Expired - Fee Related EP1615254B1 (en) | 2004-07-05 | 2004-07-05 | Device and method for reducing glass flow during the manufacture of microchannel plates |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1615254B1 (en) |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB1470889A (en) * | 1973-07-05 | 1977-04-21 | Philips Electronic Associated | Fibre plate |
EP0225656A1 (en) * | 1985-11-07 | 1987-06-16 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Image-forming device including a fibre-optic plate |
US5378955A (en) * | 1971-11-08 | 1995-01-03 | Intevac, Inc. | Method for fabrication of a microchannel electron multiplier |
-
2004
- 2004-07-05 EP EP20040400034 patent/EP1615254B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5378955A (en) * | 1971-11-08 | 1995-01-03 | Intevac, Inc. | Method for fabrication of a microchannel electron multiplier |
GB1470889A (en) * | 1973-07-05 | 1977-04-21 | Philips Electronic Associated | Fibre plate |
EP0225656A1 (en) * | 1985-11-07 | 1987-06-16 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Image-forming device including a fibre-optic plate |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP1615254B1 (en) | 2008-12-24 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US4853020A (en) | Method of making a channel type electron multiplier | |
US3275428A (en) | Method of making honeycomb structure | |
US5795206A (en) | Fiber spacers in large area vacuum displays and method for manufacture of same | |
US7221837B2 (en) | Device and method for reducing glass flow during the manufacture of microchannel plates | |
US8135253B2 (en) | Microchannel plate (MCP) having an asymmetric packing pattern for higher open area ratio (OAR) | |
US6155900A (en) | Fiber spacers in large area vacuum displays and method for manufacture | |
US4126804A (en) | Strip microchannel electron multiplier array support structure | |
CN107285618B (en) | Solid light micro-channel array panel and preparation method thereof | |
JP3815170B2 (en) | Microstructured optical fiber preform and method of manufacturing microstructured optical fiber | |
US3347649A (en) | Method of fusing single layer fiber optic strif | |
US7126263B2 (en) | Perforated mega-boule wafer for fabrication of microchannel plates (MCPs) | |
EP1615254B1 (en) | Device and method for reducing glass flow during the manufacture of microchannel plates | |
JP4801886B2 (en) | Devices and methods for reducing glass flow during the manufacture of microchannel plates | |
JP4567404B2 (en) | Microchannel plate and manufacturing method thereof | |
US7109644B2 (en) | Device and method for fabrication of microchannel plates using a mega-boule wafer | |
KR100499866B1 (en) | A Method and an Apparatus for Fabricating Micro-channel Plate Using Corrugated Molds | |
US4101303A (en) | Perforate glass structures and method of making the same | |
JP4886452B2 (en) | Method for manufacturing stretched glass member, method for manufacturing spacer for image display device, and method for manufacturing image display device | |
JP3513101B2 (en) | Manufacturing method of photonic crystal fiber | |
EP2063451A2 (en) | Curved MPC channels | |
US7553428B2 (en) | Method of fabricating spacers and method of installing spacers in flat panel device | |
WO1999060602A1 (en) | Improved microchannel plate |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
|
AX | Request for extension of the european patent |
Extension state: AL HR LT LV MK |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20060421 |
|
AKX | Designation fees paid |
Designated state(s): FR NL |
|
17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20060831 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: 8566 |
|
17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20060831 |
|
GRAP | Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1 |
|
GRAS | Grant fee paid |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR3 |
|
GRAA | (expected) grant |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: B1 Designated state(s): FR NL |
|
PLBE | No opposition filed within time limit |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT |
|
26N | No opposition filed |
Effective date: 20090925 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: NL Ref legal event code: SD Owner name: EXELIS INC. Effective date: 20120913 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: FR Ref legal event code: TP Owner name: EXELIS INC., US Effective date: 20120912 Ref country code: FR Ref legal event code: CD Owner name: EXELIS INC., US Effective date: 20120912 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: FR Ref legal event code: PLFP Year of fee payment: 12 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: NL Payment date: 20150726 Year of fee payment: 12 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: FR Payment date: 20150717 Year of fee payment: 12 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: NL Ref legal event code: MM Effective date: 20160801 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: FR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20160801 Ref country code: NL Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20160801 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: FR Ref legal event code: ST Effective date: 20170331 |