WO1999060602A1

WO1999060602A1 - Improved microchannel plate

Info

Publication number: WO1999060602A1
Application number: PCT/US1999/011091
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul Motta
Original assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.
Priority date: 1998-05-18
Filing date: 1999-04-17
Publication date: 1999-11-25

Abstract

An improved microchannel plate structure (10) has microchannels (12) with a wall (14) surface portion (16) having an improved retention of indigenous constituents (i.e., selected elements and/or chemical compounds) which allow the glass to be made electrically active as a secondary-electron emitter. Thus, the microchannels (12) are more electrically active than those of conventional microchannel plates, and an improved electron gain is realized. A method of making a microchannel plate (10) embodying the inventive structure is set out.

Description

Improved MicroChannel Plate

Background of the Invention

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a microchannel plate. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of making an improved microchannel plate having markedly increased gain in comparison to known microchannel plates. MicroChannel plates are array dynodes which are high-gain secondary-electron emitters used in such devices as image intensifier tubes, and in other light and particle detector tubes.

Related Technology

MicroChannel plates are commonly used as electron multiplier devices (or gain stages) in image intensifier tubes. There are many other uses for microchannel plates, including in such devices as particle detectors. Those ordinarily skilled in the pertinent arts will understand that the manufacture of such microchannel plates involves drawing (i.e., elongating while heated to a softened condition) of fine-dimension glass fibers, each of which includes a core of etchable glass and a tubular cladding of electrically active glass. Single fibers of this type are stacked together into a bundle having a hexagonal shape in end view. This hex-shaped bundle of fibers includes about 8000 fibers, and is fused and subjected to a drawing process. The finished hex-shaped bundle of fibers, now referred to as a multifiber, has a dimension across the opposite faces of the hexagonal shape of about 0.026 inch. These fibers are assembled into a boule pre- form. That is, in a boule pre-form, a great multitude of such glass multifibers are stacked together within a heavy walled glass tube, and are interbonded with one another and with the glass tube by mutual fusion while subjected to a vacuum. This process forms what is known as a "boule". After this boule has cooled, it is sliced transversely at a slight angle by a sawing process to yield successive thin plates from the boule. Subsequently, each resulting thin plate of glass (i.e., a transverse thin slice of the boule) is subjected to an etching process to remove the core glass from each fiber of the plate. The result is a thin plate of glass with a great multitude of fine-dimension channels (i.e., microchannels) extending between its opposite faces. The heavy-walled glass tube fuses with the glass fibers during the boule-fusion process to provide the microchannel plate with a glass rim about a central array of multiple microchannels. Conventional microchannel plates include as many as eleven million, or more individual microchannels. This plate of glass with fine-dimension channels is then subjected to subsequent manufacturing processes which activate the electrically active glass along its surface bounding the microchannels as a secondary-electron emitter. Input and output electrodes are also applied to the glass plate to allow application of electrostatic fields which provide an electron flow along the length of the microchannels (i.e., from face to face of the thin glass microchannel plate, from the input to the output face of the plate).

A common manufacturing process in the making of such boules of glass in preparation for subsequent making of such microchannel plates is the boule-furnace fusion of the multitude of fine-dimension fibers within a heavy-walled glass tube, as described above. This process of boule-furnace fusion of the glass fibers within the heavy-walled glass tube is carried out generally using a boule-fusion furnace in which the boule is movably suspended below a support and hangs vertically into the cavity of the furnace cavity. The furnace is shorter in vertical extent than the boule so that only a relatively short section at a time is heated and fused as the boule is lowered through the furnace cavity while a vacuum is applied within the heavy-walled glass tube. As the glass tube and fibers reach their softening transition temperature, the vacuum effects a diametrical collapse of the glass tube and fusion with the multitude of fibers, as the fibers themselves also fuse with one another. Because the glass tube is tightly packed with fibers the extent of the diametrical collapse is limited. After the fusion step, the boule is again heated section by section in the furnace to a lower temperature to anneal it so as to relieve internal stresses. However, the boule cannot conventionally be heated in its entirety either for fusion or for annealing. And, the boule must be moved vertically and progressively through the furnace cavity for these operations.

As can be readily under stood in view of the fact that glass is a poor conductor of heat, and the further fact that only sufficient softening of the glass tube and fibers to effect their fusion, and certainly not full melting of the glass, is allowed (melting the glass would destroy the structure sought to be created), it can be seen that the boule fusion process is both time consuming and exacting. That is, the boule-fusion furnace temperature must be maintained only slightly above the softening temperature of the glass, in order to prevent melting of the glass structure, while also effecting sufficient heat flow and temperature within the boule to effect the necessary glass fiber fusion. Inevitably, the conventional process of boule fusion has been very time consuming, and required careful temperature control.

Nevertheless, with conventional microchannel plates, a surface layer of the electrically active glass lining the microchannels has apparently always suffered from a relative deficiency of the indigenous constituents (i.e., selected elements and chemical compounds which result in this glass being electrically active). That is, the glass adjacent to the channel surface is believed to be depleted of the very constituents which are indigenous to the glass and which will allow the glass to function as a secondary- electron emitter under the conditions of operation of a microchannel plate. This deficiency of the glass of conventional microchannel plates with respect to the indigenous constituents of the glass is believed to not have been recognized heretofore. Further, the portion of the surface of the microchannels that is somewhat depleted of indigenous constituent elements and compounds has also been found to have an undesirable presence of elements and compounds from the core class of the fibers used in making up the microchannel plate. Conventional furnace technology, which is believed to have been used in the production of single crystal or mono-crystal structures, perhaps in the semiconductor or specialty metals industry, is known in accord with United States patents No's. 4,086,424, issued 25 April 1978; 4,423,516, issued 27 December 1983; and 4,518,351, issued 21 May 1985. It is believed than none of this conventional furnace technology suggests application of such a furnaces to the making of microchannel plates, nor suggests a methodology for processing microchannel plate boules.

Summary of the Invention

In view of the deficiencies of the conventional technology, it is an object for this invention to provide an improved microchannel plate which avoids one or more of these deficiencies.

Another object for this invention is to provide an improved microchannel plate in which depletion of the active constituents (i.e., the selected elements and chemical compounds in the glass lining the microchannels allowing these microchannels to be made electrically active as secondary-electron emitters) of the plate is reduced or eliminated. Yet another object for this invention is to provide a method of making such an improved microchannel plate.

Still another object for this invention is to provide a manufacturing intermediate article from which such improved microchannel plates can be made. Accordingly, the present invention according to one aspect provides a method of making a microchannel plate, said method comprising steps of: providing a boule including an outer glass tube having bore substantially filed with a multitude of elongate glass fibers, providing each of said multitude of elongate glass fibers with a core of etchable glass and a cladding of glass having indigenous constituents allowing the cladding glass to be made electrically active as a secondary-electron emitter, fusing said glass tube and said multitude of elongate glass fibers into a unitary fused-boule by: heating the boule to a temperature close to but less than the fusion temperature of the boule, additionally heating a portion of the boule to a temperature creating a fusion zone in the boule, moving the fusion zone from one end of said boule to the other end while maintaining the boule stationary, and while allowing the boule to cool to a temperature below the fusion temperature after passage of the fusion zone.

A further aspect of the present inventive method involves maintaining the boule stationary and heating the entire boule to an annealing temperature while supporting the boule from a lower end.

A better understanding of the present invention will be obtained from reading the following description of a single preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the appended drawing Figures, in which the same features (or features analogous in structure or function) are indicated with the same reference numeral throughout the several views. It will be understood that the appended drawing Figures and description here following relate only to one or more exemplary preferred embodiments of the invention, and as such, are not to be taken as implying a limitation on the invention. No such limitation on the invention is implied, and none is to be inferred. Brief Description of the Drawing Figures

Figure 1 provides a schematic cross sectional elevation view of a boule-fusion furnace in use fusing a boule; Figures la and lb respectively are a greatly enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view and a greatly enlarged fragmentary plan view, each of a microchannel plate made according to the present invention, and are presented with differing degrees of enlargement;

Figure 2 provides a greatly enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of a portion of the structure seen in Figure 1 ; and

Figure 3 is a graphical representation of a temperature versus length relationship (which also has a temperature versus time aspect) for a boule processed in the furnace seen in Figure 1 according to the present invention.

Detailed Description of an Exemplary Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

Viewing first Figures 1 , la, and lb, and particularly Figures la, and lb, a fragmentary cross sectional view and a facial or plan view are seen, each of a respective portion of a microchannel plate 10 which has been made according to the teachings of this invention. Those ordinarily skilled in the pertinent arts will understand that the illustrations of Figures la and lb are grossly larger than the physical structure of a microchannel plate. The microchannel plate 10 includes a truly great multitude of the microchannels 12, each of which may be on the order of 5 to 8 microns in diameter. The microchannels 12 are spaced apart in an array by a distance that sufficiently exceeds the diameter of the microchannels so that a wall 14 of glass is defined between adjacent microchannels 12. The microchannel plate 10 may be on the order of 0.012 inch thick, and may include as many as eleven million or more microchannels 12. Further, the opposite faces of the microchannel plate each carry a metallization 10a, which serves as electrodes allowing an electric field to be applied across these opposite faces. Viewing the microchannels 12 of Figures la and lb in greater detail, it is seen that the microchannels 12 each have a surface region, indicated by the numeral 16 in Figure la, which surface region is electrically active, is somewhat electrically conductive, and is a secondary-electron emitter. This surface region 16 is actually defined by a wall portion 18 of the glass defining the wall of each microchannel. This wall portion 18 has a depth extending into the wall 14, and includes selected constituents (i.e., selected elements and chemical compounds) indigenous to the glass of wall 14. These indigenous constituents may be active themselves or may combine with other elements or chemical compounds added to the portion 18 by processing of the plate 10 after it is cut from a boule in order to result in the surface wall portion 18 being active as a secondary-electron emitter.. That is, chemical compounds have been added to or created in the glass of the portion 18 by subjecting the glass to elements which combine with indigenous chemicals of the glass, for example.

Further, the portion 18 has been "activated" during manufacture of the microchannel plate by exposure to such other elements or compounds as well as a vigorous electron beam scrubbing which removes residues that could interfere with the secondary electron emissions from the wall surface portion 18. For example, one common activation element is cesium, which is applied in an ultra-high vacuum environment.

During operation of a microchannel plate, electrons (indicated by the arrows with symbol "e-"), which are emitted from some source (not depicted in the drawing Figures) enter the input end of the microchannels 12. These electrons may be photoelectrons released by a photocathode (not shown in the drawing Figures) in response to photons of light - as occurs in an image intensifier tube, for example. The electrons entering from the input side of the microchannels 12 impact the surface region 18, and result in the emission of secondary electrons. The numbers of these secondary electrons exceeds the number of the electrons entering the microchannel so a gain in the number of electrons is realized. The thickness of the microchannel plate may be three hundred multiples of the diameter of the microchannels 12, and the impact and electron- multiplying process occurs several times over the length of each microchannel. As a result the electron gain may be in the range of three or four to as many as ten orders of magnitude, or more. In contrast to conventional microchannel plates which, as explained above, are believed to include a surface portion of the microchannel walls which is comparatively depleted of indigenous compounds and elements of the cladding glass compared to the glass deeper within the walls, and which are believed to also include some elements and compounds from the core glass, the portion 18 of microchannel plate 10 has substantially the same constituents of indigenous constituents as the glass elsewhere in the walls 14. Viewing Figure 1 now, an illustration of a step in the making the microchannel plate 10 is provided. Figure 1 depicts a structure 20 referred to as a boule pre-form, and which will become a boule after the processing to be explained. That is, the structure 20 includes an elongate heavy-walled glass tube 22 which is closed sealingly at its opposite ends. The tube 22 is sealed by an integral arcuate end wall portion 24 at its lower end. At its upper end, the tube 22 is closed by a metal and rubber seal connector assembly 26, from which a pipe or conduit 28 extends to a source of vacuum, indicated by arrow 30. The tube 22 is round in end view. As will be seen glass plates 22a are provided and define glass barriers between adjacent bundles of glass fibers within the tube 22 as well as glass end plates for the bundles of glass fibers in tube 22, all to prevent distortion of the ends of the hex fibers (multifibers) in the boule. These glass plates 22a do not prevent the vacuum from source 30 from reaching all of the chamber 32. Thus, all of the internal chamber 32 within the glass tube 22 is communicated to vacuum source 30.

The chamber 32 is substantially filled with elongate glass fibers, generally indicated with the numeral 34. These fibers 34 are hexagonal in end view. As those ordinarily skilled in the pertinent arts will know, each hexagonal fiber 34 (i.e., a multifiber) contains several thousand single fibers. Each single fiber contains a core (indicated with arrowed numeral 34a) of core glass including indigenous constituents (i.e., the selected elements and/or compounds which will allow this core glass to be etched away). Also, each single fiber includes a cladding (indicated with numeral 34b) which surrounds a respective core, and which itself includes indigenous elements and/or chemical compounds (generally referred to as the indigenous constituents), that will allow the cladding glass to be made electrically active as a secondary-electron emitter. A preferred glass for use as cladding 34b is known to contain a large amount of lead oxide. Other cladding glasses also contain large amounts of lead oxide. As seen in Figure 1, the chamber 32 is about three times as long as the multifibers 34, and three lengths of the fibers 34 along with the plates 22a are placed in the chamber 32 end to end in order to fill the chamber 32 substantially from end to end and within its diameter. A boule-fusion furnace 36 defines an elongate vertically-extending cavity 38 receiving the boule 20. The furnace 36 includes an insulated support block 40 closing the lower end of the cavity 38, supported above the base plate by connection to a post (not referenced, but seen at the left-hand side of Figure 1). The support block 40 is removable, allowing access to the bottom of the cavity 38 for cleaning or removal of a boule downwardly out of this cavity if necessary. Also resting upon a support block 63 is a comparatively thin- walled tube 42 bounding cavity 38. The tube 42 extends upwardly through insulator 44 and terminates just below the removable insulator top 44a. As is seen in Figure 1 , the top 44 has a passage through which passes an upper portion of the thick- walled glass tube 22. Disposed around the tube 42 and stacked one upon the other from bottom to top of the cavity 38 and tube 42 is a plurality of individual annular high-temperature electric heating elements 46. Each of the heating elements 46 may be only about one inch thick in vertical dimension, while the cavity 38 may be about four to five feet in height. Thus, the heating elements 46 may number from about forty to as many as 60 or more, although these are only representative numbers. That is, the cavity 38 may be shorter or longer than the dimensions mentions without departure from the present invention. The heating elements 46 are individually controlled and are monitored for temperature of the boule 20, as will be further explained. Surrounding the heating elements 46 and extending from the base 40 to the top of cavity 38 is an insulation jacket, indicated with numeral 48. A metal cladding 50 surrounds the insulation 48 and provides a durable and protective skin for the furnace 36. As is seen in Figures 1 and 2, the furnace 36 is provided with a plurality of temperature sensor probes 51, each extending though respective aligned apertures 52a, 52b, 52c, and 52d, respectively defined by the tube 22, individual heating elements 46, insulation 48, cladding 50. That is, the tube 22 has a plurality of such apertures 52a spaced along the length of cavity 38. Each heating element 46 has a respective aperture 52b. The insulation 48 has a respective plurality of apertures 52c spaced along the length of cavity 38 and aligning with the apertures 52a and 52b. Finally, the cladding 50 has a matching plurality of the apertures 52d spaced along the length of cavity 38, and aligning with the apertures 52a, 52b, and 52c. It will be noted that although Figure 1 may at first blush appear to show the plurality of temperature sensing probes 51 as being aligned vertically one above the other along the height of the furnace 36, this is preferably not the case. Instead, it will be understood that the cross section of Figure 1 is taken along a helix or spiral from top to bottom of the furnace 36. Thus, the temperature sensing probes 51 will be understood to be preferably arranged in a spiral or helical pattern from one end of the cavity 36 to the other.

Further, viewing now Figure 2, it is seen that the temperature sensing probes 51 each include a mount portion 54 secured to the cladding 50, for example, by a pair of screws 54a. The mount portion 54 defines a spring chamber 56, and a probe body 58 is reciprocatory in the apertures 52 and chamber 56. Carried on the probe body 58 is a spring collar 60, and a spring 62 extends between the spring collar 62 and the mount portion 54 within chamber 56. This spring 62 is effective to yieldably urge the temperature sensing probe 51 inwardly of the cavity 38, and also to allow the resilient movement of the temperature sensing probes 51 slightly outwardly of the cavity. Each temperature sensing probe 51 defines a sensing end surface 52a, which is in contact with the outer surface of the boule 20 in radial alignment with the heating element through which the probe 51 extends. Each respective temperature sensing probe 51 controls the heating element 46 through which it passes (i.e., by means of a temperature controller, which is well understood in the art). The temperature sensing probes 51 are yieldably urged into contact with the boule 20 by the respective springs 62. The possible resilient radial movement of the plurality of helically arranged probes 51 not only allows the boule 20 to be inserted into the cavity 38 for furnace fusion, but also insures continuous contact of the temperature sensing end surface 52a with the respective surface portion of the boule 20 despite differential thermal expansions that may take place during heating and cooling of the boule 20 and furnace 36. Also, the helical arrangement of the probes 51 provides centering of the boule in the cavity 38, further insuring good heat-transfer contact of the probes at surfaces 52a with the outer surface of the boule 20. In view of the above, it will be appreciated that the plurality of temperature sensing probes 51 provides for direct heat-transfer (i.e., conduction) temperature measurement of the temperature of boule 20 at a plurality of discreetly spaced apart locations spaced along the length of the boule and helically there around from end to end. Further, each of the heating elements 46 is controlled by the respective temperature sensing probe 51 via an electrical connection, indicated by wires 64 on Figure 2. Having observed the structure of furnace 36, attention may now be directed to an improved process of boule-furnace fusion of the boule 20 as is explained below. Figure 3 indicates a length versus temperature diagram for a boule 20 in cavity 38 of a furnace 46 as described above. Because the furnace 38 and boule 20 have an inherent heating and cooling rate at particular locations along the length of the furnace and boule, Figure 3 also has an inherent aspect of temperature versus time. Considering now Figure 3 in some detail, it is seen that from left to right on this graphical depiction indicates a direction corresponding from bottom toward the top of the cavity 38 and boule 20. Figure 3 also represents only a portion of the temperature/time history of a boule being processed. At a time earlier than that of Figure 3, the boule 20 is placed into the cavity at ambient temperature, and is heated toward the time seen in Figure 3. Similarly, after the time seen in Figure 3, the fused boule will be cooled toward (but not initially to) ambient. Before being cooled to ambient, the furnace 36 is used to perform an annealing step on the boule 20. In the furnace 36 the entire boule may be maintained at an elevated temperature, which is less than the fusion temperature for the boule, but which allows relief of residual stresses within the boule. This step of annealing for stress relief is carried out with the entire boule being heated and maintained at a temperature above ambient while the boule is stationary. Those ordinarily skilled in the pertinent arts will recognize that this is considerably in contrast to the conventional annealing which is performed by moving a boule through an annealing furnace (i.e., through an annealing zone) while relatively small successive portions of the boule are annealed.

Subsequently, the fused and annealed boule 20 will sliced transversely (as is indicated by dashed lines 66 on Figure 1 , so that a plate like section of the boule will be available for further processing into a microchannel plate.

Now considering Figure 3, it is seen that the boule 20 has a fusion temperature, indicated by dashed line 68, annotated Tf (i.e., for Temperature of fusion). Prior to the time illustrated in Figure 3, the boule 20 has a temperature close to but less than Tf. At the time of Figure 3, the temperature of a relatively short vertically extending portion of the boule 20 is elevated above Tf just sufficiently in temperature and time duration so as to allow the tube 22 and fibers 34 to fuse to one another across the diameter of the boule and at this location along its length. Next the particular portion of the boule is allowed to cool to a temperature below Tf. This heating from below Tf and subsequent cooling to a temperature below Tf is carried out in a sequential fashion, creating a fusion zone that moves from the bottom of the boule 20 to the top, as seen in Figure 1. This heating/cooling experience is indicated on Figure 3 by the line 70. Restated, this temperature/time experience at the moving fusion zone is illustrated in Figure 3 by the solid-line 70 temperature/time curve extending from below Tf to remain above Tf for a time, and then cooling below Tf. Thus, the applied vacuum is effective to remove air and other gasses and to assist in the fusion process by applying a compressive force (i.e., because of ambient air pressure acting on tube 22 from outside of this tube within cavity 38) as the fusion zone moves from bottom to top of the boule 20. That is, the cavity 38 is allowed to be at ambient pressure.

Importantly, the temperature/time curve 70 seen in Figure 3 has a temperature only sufficiently above Tf at the surface of tube 22 (i.e., where the surface 52a contacts the tube 22) so as to allow the temperature at the center of the boule to fuse the fibers 34 (i.e., heat flow is from outside inward, with temperature being highest at the outer surface of the boule and coolest at the center), but low enough to limit the temperature/time experience for fibers near the tube 22. In other words, the area under curve 70 and above Tf line 68 is selectively controlled. As a result, the fibers 34 are fused to one another and to the tube 22, but the core glass 34a and cladding glass 34b are at or above the fusion temperature Tf for the least amount of temperature/time that is possible. Accordingly, indigenous elements and chemical compounds from the cladding glass 34b have a minimized opportunity to diffuse from this cladding glass 34b and into the core glass 34a. Because the core glass 34a is able to acquire by diffusion a lesser amount of the indigenous constituents from the cladding glass, when the core glass is etched from the fibers, it carries away less of these indigenous constituents with it.

Similarly, after the etching process, the cladding glass bounding the channels 12 is richer in its indigenous constituents because it has lost less of these to the etched-away core glass during boule-furnace fusion.

An actual test of this invention has shown an improvement in microchannel electron gain of from 2 to 3 to one over an otherwise identical conventional microchannel plate made of the same core and cladding glasses, but boule-furnace fused conventionally. That is, the boule-furnace fusion as described above and according to this invention is believed to have left a richer more electrically active wall portion 18 on the microchannels 12 of a microchannel plate 10 embodying the invention. Because the wall portions 18 of the microchannels 12 was more rich in its indigenous constituents, the microchannel plate more closely approached its theoretical capabilities. Further, the wall portion 18 is believed not to contain as much of the indigenous elements and compounds from the core glass (i.e., in conventional microchannel plates, these possibly leach into the cladding during fusion and before removal of the core by etching). This factor also is believed to contribute to the improvement in performance of microchannel plates make in accord with this invention. While the present invention has been depicted, described, and is defined by reference to a single particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, such reference does not imply a limitation on the invention, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The invention is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those ordinarily skilled in the pertinent arts. The depicted and described preferred embodiment of the invention is exemplary only, and is not exhaustive of the scope of the invention. Consequently, the invention is intended to be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims, giving full cognizance to equivalents in all respects.

Claims

I Claim:

1. A method of making a microchannel plate, said method comprising steps of: providing a boule pre-form including an outer glass tube having bore substantially filled with a multitude of elongate glass fibers, providing each of said multitude of elongate glass fibers with a core of etchable glass and a cladding of glass having indigenous constituents allowing the cladding glass to be made electrically active as a secondary-electron emitter, while maintaining said boule pre-form stationary, fusing said glass tube and said multitude of elongate glass fibers into a unitary fused-boule by: heating a portion of the boule pre-form to a temperature above the fusion temperature of the glass to create a fusion zone in the boule, and moving the fusion zone from one end of said boule to the other end.

2. The method of Claim 1 further including the step of heating the entire boule to a temperature close to but less than the fusion temperature before performing the step of creating the fusion zone in the boule.

3. The method of Claim 1 additionally including the step of allowing the fused boule to cool toward but, for an interval of time not to, ambient temperature.

4. The method of Claim 3 including the step of maintaining the entire boule at an elevated temperature less than the fusion temperature in order to anneal and relieve stresses in the boule.

5. The method of Claim 1 further including the step of applying vacuum within said glass tube, and utilizing ambient atmospheric pressure to urge said glass tube into fusion with said multitude of fibers.

6. The method of Claim 5 including the step of utilizing ambient atmospheric pressure to urge the glass tube toward fusion with the glass fibers while maintaining the boule stationary and moving the fusion zone from bottom to top of the boule.

7. The method of Claim 1 further including the step of providing a plurality of temperature sensors each contacting said boule pre-form, and utilizing said multitude of temperature sensors to control heating of said boule pre-form.

8. The method of Claim 7 including providing a respective plurality of heater elements each associated with a respective one of said plurality of temperature sensors, and surrounding a respective section of said boule, and utilizing said plurality of heating elements to successively heat the boule to a temperature above the fusion temperature of the glass tube and glass fibers to move the fusion zone along the boule.

9. The method of Claim 1 further including the step of annealing said boule while stationary.

10. The method of Claim 4 wherein said annealing step includes the steps of heating said boule in its entirety to a substantially uniform annealing temperature, and maintaining said heated boule substantially entirely at said annealing temperature for a determined period of time, followed by allowing said boule to cool toward ambient.

11. A method of making a microchannel plate, said method comprising steps of: providing a fused boule including an outer glass tube and a multitude of elongate glass fibers each having a core of etchable glass and a cladding of glass having indigenous constituents allowing the cladding glass to be made electrically active as a secondary-electron emitter, while maintaining said fused boule stationary, annealing the fused boule to relieve internal stresses, said annealing step including steps of: heating substantially the entire fused boule to a substantially uniform elevated annealing temperature less than the fusion temperature of the boule, maintaining said fused boule at said elevated annealing temperature for an interval of time, and allowing the fused and annealed boule to cool toward ambient temperature.

12. A microchannel plate having improved emission of secondary-electrons, said microchannel plate comprising: a plate like glass body defining an array of a great multitude of microchannels, each extending through the plate-like glass body to open on opposite faces of the plate like glass body; a wall portion of said plate-like glass body defining a surface for each of said great multitude of microchannels, and said wall portion having a selected concentration of indigenous constituents, which indigenous constituents allow the microchannels to be electrically active as emitters of secondary-electrons; a surface portion of said wall portions bounding said microchannels and providing emission of secondary electrons, and said surface portion having a concentration of indigenous constituents which substantially matches the selected concentration.

13. A method of processing a boule pre-form to making a fused boule used in making microchannel plates, said method comprising steps of: providing a boule pre-form including an outer glass tube having bore substantially filed with a multitude of elongate glass fibers, providing each of said multitude of elongate glass fibers with a core of etchable glass and a cladding of glass having indigenous constituents allowing the cladding glass to be made electrically active as a secondary-electron emitter, fusing said glass tube and said multitude of elongate glass fibers into a unitary fused-boule while maintaining said boule pre-form stationary.

14. The method of Claim 13 wherein said fusing step includes: heating a portion of the boule pre-form to a temperature above the fusion temperature of the glass to create a fusion zone in the boule, and moving the fusion zone from one end of said boule to the other end.

15. The method of Claim 14 including the step of heating the entire boule pre-form to a temperature close to but less than the fusion temperature before performing the step of creating the fusion zone in the boule.

16. The method of Claim 14 including the step of maintaining the entire fused boule at an elevated temperature less than the fusion temperature in order to anneal and relieve stresses in the boule.

17. The method of Claim 14 wherein said annealing step includes the steps of heating all of said boule to a substantially uniform annealing temperature, and maintaining said heated boule substantially entirely at said annealing temperature for a determined period of time, followed by allowing said boule to cool toward ambient.

18. The method of Claim 14 further including the steps of applying vacuum within said glass tube, and utilizing ambient atmospheric pressure to urge said glass tube into fusion with said multitude of fibers, and while maintaining the boule stationary moving the fusion zone from bottom to top of the boule.

19. The method of Claim 14 further including the step of providing a furnace with a plurality of heating elements arrayed from bottom to top of the boule pre-form, providing a plurality of temperature sensors each contacting said boule pre-form, and utilizing said multitude of temperature sensors to control heating of said boule pre-form by control of respective ones of said plurality of heating elements.

20. A microchannel plate having improved emission of secondary-electrons, said microchannel plate comprising: a plate like glass body defining an array including a great multitude of microchannels, each extending through the plate-like glass body to open on opposite faces of the plate like glass body; said plate-like glass body having a wall portion defining an interior tubular surface for each of said great multitude of microchannels, and said wall portion intermediate of adjacent microchannels having a selected concentration of indigenous constituents, which indigenous constituents allow the microchannels to be electrically active as emitters of secondary-electrons; a surface portion of each of said wall portions bounding a respective one of said multitude of microchannels and providing emission of secondary electrons, and said surface portion having a concentration of indigenous constituents which is substantially the same as that of said wall portion intermediate of adjacent microchannels.