US3275865A - Field emission tube with low temperature gas adsorption - Google Patents

Field emission tube with low temperature gas adsorption Download PDF

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Publication number
US3275865A
US3275865A US308131A US30813163A US3275865A US 3275865 A US3275865 A US 3275865A US 308131 A US308131 A US 308131A US 30813163 A US30813163 A US 30813163A US 3275865 A US3275865 A US 3275865A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
envelope
anode
cathode
field emission
tube
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
US308131A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Antonius Gerardus Joha Oostrom
Venema Albertus
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.)
US Philips Corp
North American Philips Co Inc
Original Assignee
US Philips Corp
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 US Philips Corp filed Critical US Philips Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3275865A publication Critical patent/US3275865A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J21/00—Vacuum tubes
    • H01J21/02—Tubes with a single discharge path
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J17/00—Gas-filled discharge tubes with solid cathode
    • H01J17/02—Details
    • H01J17/20—Selection of substances for gas fillings; Specified operating pressures or temperatures
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J19/00—Details of vacuum tubes of the types covered by group H01J21/00
    • H01J19/74—Cooling arrangements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J5/00—Details relating to vessels or to leading-in conductors common to two or more basic types of discharge tubes or lamps
    • H01J5/02—Vessels; Containers; Shields associated therewith; Vacuum locks
    • H01J5/12—Double-wall vessels or containers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J7/00—Details not provided for in the preceding groups and common to two or more basic types of discharge tubes or lamps
    • H01J7/24—Cooling arrangements; Heating arrangements; Means for circulating gas or vapour within the discharge space
    • 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
    • H01J9/38—Exhausting, degassing, filling, or cleaning vessels

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a device employing an electric discharge tube in which the cathode consists of a conductive part having a very small radius of curvature on which the field of the anode is operative, a field emission cathode which is not heated.
  • the invention further relates to an electric discharge tube for such a device and to a method of manufacturing such a discharge tube.
  • a difiiculty with the small dimensions is that the presence of an exhaust tube increases the dimensions disproportionately.
  • solder a discharge tube together in vacuum from the component parts, this has the disadvantage for a tube with a field emission cathode that soldering material evaporates at the required high soldering temperature and precipitates on the cathode. As a result of this, these cathodes usually become useless.
  • the object of the invention is to provide a device and :a discharge tube for such a device which do not have the above drawbacks.
  • the discharge tube is located in a space having such a low temperature that the residual gas possibly present in adsorbed to such an extent that the requirements for field emission from a non-heated cathode are satisfied, while in the tube argon is available with a pressure of a few tens torr at room temperature and this tube consists of metal and ceramic parts soldered together.
  • the tube according to the invention is soldered together in an argon atmosphere at a pressure of the order of ten torr, which has the advantage that the possible evaporation of the solder is no longer harmful.
  • the argon may first have been used as a cleaning gas.
  • the argon of low pressure left in the tube after soldering does not disturb the operation of the tube at the low temperature, for example that of liquid helium, because the gas which is condensed then has a sufiiciently low vapor pressure.
  • FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a diode according to the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a controllable discharge tube
  • FIG. 3 diagrammatically shows a device employing a number oi the tubes according to the invention.
  • reference numeral 1 is a cylinder of pure aluminum oxide against which the cathode plate 2 and the anode plate 3 are soldered by means of soldering edges 4 and 5 respectively.
  • the plates consist of molybdenum. '1 hey are soldered to the cylinder metallized with molybdenum manganese powder by means of silver.
  • a tungsten wire 6 of 0.1 mm. thickness is welded to the cathode plate 2, the tip 7 of said wire having a radius of curvature 2 x 10* mm. The distance from the tip 7 to the plate 3 is 0.3 mm.
  • the diameter of the cathode and anode plates is 3 mms. and the height of the cylinder is 4 mms.
  • the tube is sealed by soldering after degassing in an atmosphere of argon of 20 torr. If the tube is dipped in liquid helium, a current of 10,ua. may be obtained at an anode voltage of 0.75 kv.
  • the cathode 6, 7 is arranged in the same manner as in the case of FIG. 1.
  • the tip of the cathode is located opposite an aperture 8 in the plate 9 on which, in the direction of movement of the electrons, follow the perforated plate 10 and finally the anode 11.
  • the cathode plate 2 and the plates 9, 10 and 11 are insulated from one another by the cylinders of aluminum oxide 12, 13, 14 soldered, thereto in a vacuum-tight manner, While on the outside cylinders 15 and 16 are soldered so as to decrease the tension in the soldering points.
  • the plate 9, as was the case in the tube of FIG. 1, has a voltage of 0.75 kv. with respect to the cathode.
  • the plate 10 is approximately at cathode potential. With this plate the electron current, which is accelerated by the plate 9 operating as the first anode, may be controlled, as a result of which consequently the anode current is determined.
  • the cryostat is diagrammatically shown by means of the single Dewar flask 17 which contains liquid helium 18 nearly to the rim.
  • components 19 are located each comprising a number of tubes 19 of the type described in FIG. 2.
  • the electric supply wires 20 for the tubes 19 are passed through the neck of the Dewar flask.
  • the passive switching elements are located in the components.
  • An electric discharge device comprising an envelope containing an anode and a cathode, said cathode comprising a wire-like element having one end spaced from the anode with a relatively small radius of curvature whereby electrons are emitted from said cathode by the action of an electric field produced by the anode, said envelope comprising metal portions separated by and joined to ceramic portions by a solder material, an argon atmosphere in said envelope at a pressure of the order of ten torr at room temperature, and means to cool said envelope to a temperature substantially below room temperature and at which the argon gas is substantially adsorbed by said envelope.
  • cooling means is a vessel substantially filled with liquid helium surrounding said envelope.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Manufacture Of Electron Tubes, Discharge Lamp Vessels, Lead-In Wires, And The Like (AREA)
  • Solid Thermionic Cathode (AREA)
US308131A 1962-09-11 1963-09-11 Field emission tube with low temperature gas adsorption Expired - Lifetime US3275865A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL283116A NL113462C (en:Method) 1962-09-11 1962-09-11

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3275865A true US3275865A (en) 1966-09-27

Family

ID=19754096

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US308131A Expired - Lifetime US3275865A (en) 1962-09-11 1963-09-11 Field emission tube with low temperature gas adsorption

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US3275865A (en:Method)
BE (1) BE637187A (en:Method)
CH (1) CH424001A (en:Method)
DE (1) DE1280422B (en:Method)
DK (1) DK108368C (en:Method)
GB (1) GB1019136A (en:Method)
NL (1) NL113462C (en:Method)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5698942A (en) * 1996-07-22 1997-12-16 University Of North Carolina Field emitter flat panel display device and method for operating same

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AT160477B (de) * 1937-02-16 1941-06-10 Loewe Radio Ag Elektronenverstärker mit Photokathode.
DE689830C (de) * 1937-05-15 1940-04-04 Siemens & Halske Akt Ges Verfahren zur Verbesserung der Emissionseigenschaften kalter Spitzenkathoden

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
None *

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5698942A (en) * 1996-07-22 1997-12-16 University Of North Carolina Field emitter flat panel display device and method for operating same

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE637187A (en:Method)
NL113462C (en:Method) 1966-12-10
DK108368C (da) 1967-11-27
CH424001A (de) 1966-11-15
DE1280422B (de) 1968-10-17
GB1019136A (en) 1966-02-02

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