WO2021133605A1 - Source accordable et procédés l'utilisant - Google Patents

Source accordable et procédés l'utilisant Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2021133605A1
WO2021133605A1 PCT/US2020/065288 US2020065288W WO2021133605A1 WO 2021133605 A1 WO2021133605 A1 WO 2021133605A1 US 2020065288 W US2020065288 W US 2020065288W WO 2021133605 A1 WO2021133605 A1 WO 2021133605A1
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Prior art keywords
emission
containment structure
target
energy level
window
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PCT/US2020/065288
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English (en)
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Donald Ronning
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Donald Ronning
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Publication of WO2021133605A1 publication Critical patent/WO2021133605A1/fr

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/35—Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/353—Frequency conversion, i.e. wherein a light beam is generated with frequency components different from those of the incident light beams

Definitions

  • the present disclosure generally relates to tunable sources and methods using the same.
  • the present disclosure relates to source for producing a tuned final output, and methods using the same.
  • Photochemical processes are useful in a wide variety of applications and involve the use of radiant energy (i.e., light) to provide the activation energy needed for a chemical reaction.
  • radiant energy i.e., light
  • Various types of photochemical processes are known. For example, absorption of hght having an energy below the ionization threshold of a molecule can promote one or more electrons in the molecule from one energy band to another, and/or cause an electron to move into the conduction band. Absorption of light having energy above the ionization threshold can cause ionization of the molecule and the formation of ions. So called “hard impact ionization” can lead to the generation of x-ray photons via Bremsstrahlung mechanisms.
  • so called “soft energy ionization” processes such as may occur in response to incident vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light can be used in chemical ionization (Cl), field ionization (FI), and photoinitiation (PI) energy emission.
  • VUV vacuum ultraviolet
  • FI field ionization
  • PI photoinitiation
  • Any or all of such processes can be useful in applications such as sanitization (e.g., disinfection, sterilization, and detoxification), bioremediation (e.g., pollution control/cleanup), chemical oxidation or reduction, medicine, and accelerated nuclear decay.
  • Photochemical reactions can be used to inactivate long-lived stable chemicals, viruses, bacterial, toxins, and the like. Such end uses require, however, sources of incident light that can initiate a photochemical reaction with one or more bonds in the target of interest.
  • the bond energy of many chemical bonds e. g. N bonds, C bonds, H bonds, OH bonds, etc. and particularly bonds in aromatic compounds
  • incident light preferably has an energy similar to the bond energy of the bonds in such targets, i.e., sources of ultraviolet (UV) light, vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light, electrons, and/or x-rays.
  • UV ultraviolet
  • VUV vacuum ultraviolet
  • Ionizing radiation may also be used to sterilize or reduce the microbial load of many different types of products such as medical devices, packaging, cosmetics, foods, and agricultural products. Moreover, ionizing radiation may be used to provide a mechanism to destroy long- lived chemicals (PFOA, PFAS, PFOS, Atrazine and other similar chemicals), to sterilize or reduce the microbial concentration in water. Subcritical and supercritical water minimally absorbs light that has an energy of 4.1 - 7.2 eV. Photons with an energy of 5.6 - 7.2 eV have also been shown to cause rapid degradation of PFAS in small-scale glass reactors and virus and spores. Photochemical processes may also be used to alter properties of certain polymers through recombination, cross-linkage, and cross-scission.
  • Photochemical and radiochemical processes generally involve the interaction of a source of incident energy such as light (e.g., photons such as gamma rays, x-rays, vacuum ultraviolet light, ultraviolet light), subatomic particles (e.g., electrons, protons, neutrons, etc.), or molecular particles (e.g., ions or neutral charged radicals) with a target.
  • incident energy e.g., photons such as gamma rays, x-rays, vacuum ultraviolet light, ultraviolet light
  • subatomic particles e.g., electrons, protons, neutrons, etc.
  • molecular particles e.g., ions or neutral charged radicals
  • the incident energy is generally emitted or otherwise produced from one to more sources, and is directed such that it irradiates (i.e., is incident on) the target.
  • energy sources do not produce photons, subatomic particles and/or molecular particles that have an energy that is substantially matched to one or more energy levels
  • such sources may produce photons, subatomic particles and/or molecular particles with a relatively broad spectrum of energy levels, where only a relatively small subset of those photons, subatomic particles, and/or molecular particles have an energy level that causes them to interact with the target.
  • such sources may produce a substantial number of photons, subatomic particles, and/or molecular particles that have a low probability of interacting with the target (i.e. an energy at which the target has a relatively low cross section).
  • the probability of an interaction between particles is often measured in barns, wherein 1 barn is equal to 10 24 cm 2 .
  • operating a source at a high power level may undesirably damage the environment and/or structures around the target. That complication may be particularly undesirable in medicinal applications, i.e., where the energy may be applied to one or more structures of the human body.
  • the differential selectivity of reaction between two or more dissimilar materials or structures may be diminished.
  • the purpose of exposure of pathogens with photons between 6.2 - 7.7 eV found on the surface of surgical instruments e.g. stainless steel or similar materials
  • will result in the desired outcome for the pathogens while exposure of the instrument surface may result in the oxidation state of surface atoms of the instrument without deleterious effect.
  • FIG. 1 is a cross sectional diagram of one example of a tunable source consistent with the present disclosure
  • FIG. 2 is a cross sectional diagram of another example of a tunable source consistent with the present disclosure
  • FIG. 3 is a cross sectional diagram of another example of a tunable source consistent with the present disclosure.
  • FIG. 4 is a cross sectional diagram of another example of a tunable source consistent with the present disclosure.
  • FIG. 5 is a flow chart of example operations of one example of a method of producing a tuned final output consistent with the present disclosure.
  • photoelectrochemical processes/interactions include photoexcitation, photoisomerization, photoionization, multi-photon ionization, and bond cleavage. Similar interactions (i.e., electron excitation, electro isomerization, electro ionization, and bond cleavage) can occur when electrons interact with a target.
  • Some examples of chemical processes that can occur when neutral charged particles interact with a target include Hunsdiecker substitution reactions, hydroxyl radical (OH*) reactions in peroxide-mediated oxidations of organic compounds, organic syntheses that form water and an alkyl radical (R * ), damage/degradation of various macromolecules (carbohydrates, nucleic acids, lipids, and amino acids, combinations thereof, and the like), damage/degradation by exposure to reactive nitrogen species (N*, RN*, NH2*, etc.), which may cause strand break base modification and DNA protein cross-linkage, etc., and the like.
  • Electron excitation refers to the movement of an electron from an initial energy state to a higher energy state, and can be accomplished in several ways.
  • electron excitation may be achieved via photoexcitation, in which an electron absorbs and gains the energy of an incident photon and is promoted to a higher energy state.
  • Electron excitation may also be achieved via electroexcitation, in which an electron gains the energy of an incident electron.
  • an electron that has been excited to a higher energy state may fall back to a lower energy state via a process called relaxation.
  • Relaxation of an excited electron may be accompanied by emission of a photon (photoluminescence, e.g., fluorescence or phosphorescence), wherein the emitted photon is generally of lower energy (e.g. longer wavelength) than the incident photon/electron that excited the electron to the higher energy level.
  • Bond cleavage is another type of interaction, and may occur when an incident photon or incident electron excites an electron in a molecular bonding orbital of a target molecule to an antibonding orbital.
  • common orbital transitions include n to p*, p to p*, n to s*, and s to s*, w'here n refers to a non-bonding orbital and * refers to an antibonding orbital.
  • Bond cleavage can result in the production of fragments of the target molecule via heterolytic or hemolytic cleavage, the latter of which can result in the formation of free radicals.
  • Photon or electron induced isomerization is another type of interaction, and refers to a process in which a structural change in isomers is induced by exposure to one or more incident photons or incident electrons.
  • isomerization can result in dramatic differences in chemical properties (e.g., reactivity) and physical properties (e.g., color). Consequently, photo-isomerizable molecules have been adopted for many practical applications, such as rewritable optical storage.
  • Photon or electron induced ionization is another type of interaction, and generally refers to the physical process in which an incident photon or incident electron ejects one or more electrons from a target atom or molecule. The resulting electrically charged atom or molecule is called an ion.
  • Not every photon or electron that is incident on a target will interact with that target.
  • the probability of an interaction referred to as cross section, is relevant to many photo and radiochemical interactions.
  • the cross section of a target depends on the energy level of the incident photon or electron energy and the energetic structure of the target atom or molecule.
  • cross section is non-zero for incident photons or incident electrons that have an energy level that is relatively close to an energy level of a target atom or molecule.
  • the probability that ionization will occur is referred to as ionization cross section, and is related to the ionization cross section of the target atom or molecule.
  • the ionization cross section is nearly zero, except in instances where multiple photons may cause the ejection of an electron (i.e., in multi-photon ionization).
  • the energy of the incident photon or incident electron matches or is relatively close to the ionization threshold, however, the ionization cross section is non-zero and photon or electron induced ionization can occur.
  • multi-photon ionization often needs a high power density (e.g., >_5.0 x 10 5 W/cm 3 or even > 8.5 x 10 8 W/cm 3 at 1 atmosphere) and decreases with increasing gas pressure due to the redistribution of collision-induced intermediate specie populations.
  • the ionization cross section of the target will generally increase as the energy of the incident electron increases from the ionization energy of the target to up to about three times the ionization energy of the target. Beyond three times the ionization energy the ionization cross section may remain constant or decrease, and generally slowly falls off after about six to eight times the ionization energy.
  • the efficiency of photo and radiochemical processes may be increased and/or optimized by irradiating a target with incident photons and/or electrons that have an energy level that has a high probability of interaction with a target, i.e., an energy level that results in a relatively high cross section.
  • Photo and radiochemical processes are useful in a wide range of applications, including sanitization (e.g., disinfection, sterilization, and detoxification), bioremediation, chemical oxidation or reduction, medicine, accelerated nuclear decay, and the like.
  • the incident photons and/or electrons (individually or collectively, “incident energy”) used in such processes are generally produced by one or more sources.
  • the sources used in such processes may not produce incident energy that has an energy level that is substantially matched to one or more energy levels of a target. Rather, such sources often produce incident energy with a relatively broad spectrum of energy levels. Consequently, a substantial amount of the incident energy produced by such sources may not interact with the target.
  • such sources may produce a substantial amount of incident photons and/or electrons that do not have a high probability of interacting with the target (i.e. energy at which the target has a relatively low cross section).
  • energy at which the target has a relatively low cross section i.e. energy at which the target has a relatively low cross section.
  • it may be necessary to operate such sources for an extended period or at an elevated power (flux) to achieve the desired reaction - which may undesirably affect the target and/or the matter proximate the target.
  • the inventor has therefore identified that there is a need in the art for a tunable source that can emit photons and/or electrons with an energy level that substantially matches (i.e., is tuned to) one or more energy levels of a target.
  • the present disclosure aims to satisfy that need by providing a tunable source and methods of using the same.
  • the technologies of the present disclosure can generate photons (e.g., photons, gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet (UV) light, vacuum UV light etc.) or electrons that have an energy level that is substantially matched to an energy level of a target.
  • the technologies of the present disclosure are useful in many applications such as sanitization, disinfection, pollution control, medicine, and accelerated nuclear decay.
  • aspects of the present disclosure generally relate generally to the generation of photons, electrons, and/or chemical species that may be used for various applications, such as disinfection, decontamination, pollution remediation, and stimulation of cell proliferation.
  • the present disclosure relates to a modular multi-stage energy production source (i.e., a tunable emission source) that can selectively generate a final output in the form of photons, electrons, and/or chemical species that have discrete energy levels that are substantially matched to the sequential production of downstream of light (e.g., photons, x-rays, gamma rays, etc.), subatomic particles (e.g., electrons), ions, and neutral charged radical particles.
  • the tunable emission sources produce a final output having an energy level that is substantially matched to the energy level of atomic nuclei and/or chemical bonds between atoms of the constituents of a target of interest. This may increase the probability of a photo or radiochemical interaction with the target that results in a physical or chemical change in the target, e.g., at the molecular or atomic level.
  • the technologies described herein can enable the production and delivery of a final output with an energy level that is substantially matched to targeted atomic nuclei, electrons, and/or chemical bonds of biological matter, e.g., for the purposes of causing fragmentation and/or optimizing the delivered dose to the biological matter.
  • the energy level of the final output overlaps chemical or antimicrobial action to optimize the energy delivered on a fluence-basis with few or no undesirable effects on adjacent materials.
  • the technologies of the present disclosure effectively enable reduction of dose to effect a desired outcome such as the necrosis of pathogen cells.
  • the penetration (absorption depth) of the final output may be limited by the elevated probability of interaction between the biological matter and the final output resulting in a desired outcome.
  • the increase in probability is due to the substantial matching of the energy level of the final output of energy delivered by the device with an energy level of an atom, bond, electron, etc. in the target biological matter to achieve a desired outcome.
  • the penetration depth of the final output the potential for the final output to result in an undesirable outcome on structures adjacent the target biological matter may be reduced.
  • One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a modular multi-stage energy production source that can produce a final output with a relatively uniform distribution of energy levels of photons, electrons, and molecular particles, as well as control the total amount of energy emitted in a final output and delivered to the targeted matter.
  • the modular multi-stage energy production source includes an electron source, one or a plurality of containment structures that include a gas/solid based conversion medium/target, a gas and/or vacuum supplies, electrical power supplies, and a controller unit.
  • the controller unit is configured to control the duration and intensity of the energy of a final output emitted from the source.
  • the controller may control the gas composition and pressure within each of the containment structures and the voltage applied to a primary emission source, to tailor the energy level of the final output by controlling the sequential or concurrent emission of alternative energy states in one or more of the containment structures.
  • Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a modular multi-stage energy production source that is safe and convenient to use, and may be scaled to an appropriate size, e.g., to abenchtop, cart, handheld scale, or endoscope-type device.
  • Yet another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a modular multi-stage energy production source that can be used to irradiate target biological material with a final output, while reducing, minimizing, or even eliminating damage to adjacent biological material resulting from exposure to the final output.
  • the tunable emission sources provided herein can produce a final output with a desired energy level, e.g., through the use of a sequential series of radiochemical and/or photochemical interactions that sequentially convert an initial emission from a primary emission source to a final output with a desired energy level.
  • the tunable emission sources described herein may produces electrons that modify the energy state of a gas in one or more containment structures, which in turn causes the gas to emit photons, electrons, and/or molecular particles that are of lower energy than the electrons in the primary emission. Those photons/electrons and/or chemical species may then subsequently interact with a different gas species, leading to the emission of additional photons, electrons, or molecular particles that are even lower energy.
  • the systems may use multiple chambers with different atmospheres to tailor the transitions to achieve a final output with a desired energy level.
  • the tunable energy sources generally utilize a series of photo and/or radiochemical interactions to produce photons, electrons, and/or chemical species of different (typically decreasing) energy levels.
  • the final output from the tunable source may be substantially matched to the energy level of a target atom, molecule, electron, bond, or the like.
  • the final output may be designed to induce a desired reaction, such as the deactivation or activation of desired biological activity, chemical decomposition (e.g., by bond cleavage), combinations thereof, and the like.
  • the radiation emitted by the tunable energy source may be narrow (less than ⁇ 0.008 eV) so as to enable the initiation of specific photochemical reactions by the absorption of photon(s) with a specific energy.
  • tunable energy sources may produce a precisely controlled output that does not or does not substantially include photons with other energies.
  • the tunable energy sources may be used to induce desired photochemical reactions with a target to produce a controlled product distribution that may not be obtained if the target was exposed to a source that produce photons with a wide range of differing energy levels.
  • a high pressure mercury lamp is capable of emitting light over a broad spectral range (2.1 - 5.9 eV) with several kilowatts of optical power.
  • that light output may poorly match the absorption spectrum of a targeted molecular structure that has low absorption rates in the broad spectral range (2.1 - 5.9 eV).
  • the tunable energy sources of the present disclosure can produce a final output that is targeted within the 2.1-5.9 eV range, and thus can be used to specifically the targeted molecular structure. Consequently, the tunable energy sources described herein can enable new methods of disinfection, sterilization, and decontamination that may be tailored to react with a specific target, e.g., biological molecules such as DNA, pollutants, chemicals, combinations thereof, and the like, while minimizing interaction with adjacent matter.
  • a specific target e.g., biological molecules such as DNA, pollutants, chemicals, combinations thereof, and the like
  • the tunable sources described herein are scalable from small probe-like instruments, medium-sized pen-like instruments, to bench top or larger scales, such as high-volume air or water treatment systems.
  • the tunable sources are adaptable for treating irregular exterior surfaces or treating interior surfaces of analytic or medical devices.
  • the function of the operating parameters can be programmatically controlled. Robotic manipulation of the tunable sources can be used to the positioning of the system to the surface to be treated with precision.
  • the tunable sources described herein may improve the efficiency of chemical processes between the target and such photons, electrons, neutrons and/or neutral radicals.
  • the probability of an interaction (cross section) of the output (e.g., photons/electrons/neutral radicals) produced by the sources described herein with an intended target may be relatively high, as compared to the probability (cross section) of an interaction with photons, electrons or neutral radical particles produced by other sources (which may have an energy level that is not substantially matched to an energy level of the target).
  • the sources described herein may be used to improve, optimize, and/or maximize the probability of a photo or radiochemical interaction with the target. They may also enable applications proximate to sensitive structures such as the human body, electronic circuits, and various biological structures.
  • chemical species encompasses atoms, molecules, molecular fragments, ions, and/or free radical species. Chemical species can be in the form of a solid, liquid, gas, or plasma.
  • emission means a light (i.e., photons such as gamma rays, x-rays, UV light, vacuum UV light, combinations thereof, and the like), electrons, neutrons, and/or chemical species (e.g., ions, neutrons or neutral radicals).
  • incident energy refers to an emission that is incident on (i.e., irradiates) on a target.
  • An emission may or may not be accompanied by a photo or radiochemical interaction that results in the emission of a photon from the target, emission of an electron from the target, and/or the formation of one or more chemical species, such as ions, free radicals, atoms, molecules, and the like.
  • energy state and “energy level” in reference to eV, photons, electrons, atomic nuclei, etc. should be understood to mean a measure of energy, but not necessarily to any specific category of energy which may exclude the transfer of the energy state.
  • the term “final output” refers to the output of a tunable source.
  • the final output may be in the form of an emission, one or more chemical species (e.g., ions, free radicals, fragments, atoms, molecules, or the like) or a combination thereof.
  • fragment refers to a part of a target molecule formed by cleavage of a bond by a photo or radiochemical interaction/process.
  • the term “substantially matched” when used in connection with the description of a relationship of the energy level of incident emission to the energy level of a target means that greater than or equal to 90% (e.g., greater than or equal to 95%, greater than or equal to 995, or even 100%) of photons and/or electrons with the incident emission have an energy level within +/- 10% of the energy level of the target.
  • an emission incident on a will be considered “substantially matched” to the energy of the chemical bond if greater than or equal to 90% (e.g., > 95%, > 99%, or even 100%) of the photons and/or electrons within the emission have an energy level within +/- 10% of 9 eV (i.e., 8.1 to 9.9 eV), such as +/- 5 % of 9 eV (i.e., 8.55 to 9.45 eV), or even +/- 1% of 9 eV (i.e., 8.91 to 9.09 eV).
  • +/- 10% of 9 eV i.e., 8.1 to 9.9 eV
  • +/- 5 % of 9 eV i.e., 8.55 to 9.45 eV
  • +/- 1% of 9 eV i.e., 8.91 to 9.09 eV
  • target refers to atoms, ions, molecules, electrons, bonds, or the like.
  • a target may be present within an intermediate chamber that is between a primary emission chamber and an output chamber of a tunable source.
  • a target may be present within or downstream of an output chamber of a tunable source.
  • conversion medium For clarity and ease of understanding, a target in an intermediate chamber may be referred to herein as a “conversion medium.”
  • the terms “upstream” and “downstream” are used to denote the position of a first component relative to a second component, based on the emission path of a tunable source.
  • emission path refers to the path of an emission through a source.
  • a tunable source includes a primary emission chamber, an intermediate chamber that receives a primary emission from the primary emission chamber, and an output chamber that receives a secondary emission from the intermediate chamber.
  • the emission path is from the primary emission chamber to the intermediate chamber and then the output chamber. Consequently, the intermediate chamber is downstream of the primary emission chamber but upstream of the output chamber, and the output chamber is downstream of the primary emission chamber and the intermediate chamber.
  • the tunable source may include or be in the form of a modular multi-stage energy production source (“modular source”), wherein the modular source includes at least one primary emission chamber (also referred to as a primary emission module), at least one intermediate chamber (also referred to as an intermediate module), and at least one output chamber (also referred to as an output module).
  • module modular multi-stage energy production source
  • the modular source includes at least one primary emission chamber (also referred to as a primary emission module), at least one intermediate chamber (also referred to as an intermediate module), and at least one output chamber (also referred to as an output module).
  • each of the chambers/modules is configured to produce an emission, i.e., photons, electrons, chemical species (ions, neutrons, neutral radicals, fragments, etc.), combinations thereof, and the like.
  • an emission i.e., photons, electrons, chemical species (ions, neutrons, neutral radicals, fragments, etc.), combinations thereof, and the like.
  • the emission or chemical species When produced in an intermediate chamber (e.g., a first intermediate chamber), the emission or chemical species may be selected to interact with a conversion medium in a downstream intermediate chamber (i.e., a chamber receiving the emission or chemical species) or a target in at least one output chamber (i.e., a chamber that produces a final output). More specifically, each emission or chemical species generated in a primary emission chamber or intermediate chamber may have an energy level that is substantially matched to an energy level of a conversion medium in a downstream intermediate chamber or a target in or downstream of at least one output chamber.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of one example of a tunable source 150 consistent with the present disclosure.
  • tunable source 150 is a modular multi-stage source that that can selectively generate a final output in the form of an emission (e.g., photons, electrons, neutrons, chemical species (ions, neutral radical particles, free radicals, fragments, etc.) combinations thereof, and the like).
  • Tunable source 150 includes a first containment structure 100, a primary emission source 101, and a first window 102.
  • First containment structure 100 includes a chamber with an atmosphere 103.
  • atmosphere 103 may be under vacuum or low pressure. That is, atmosphere 103 may have an atmospheric pressure less than 10 3 pascals.
  • First containment structure 100 may be constructed of any suitable material. Without limitation, in embodiments first containment structure 100 is manufactured from a generally heat conducting, non-electrically conducting, non-magnetic material, such as aluminum or ceramic like material. Without limitation, first containment structure 100 is preferably constructed of a material with a heat conduction rate greater than 30 W/(m K) and an electrical resistance greater than P0 8 Ohm-m.
  • the distance between primary emission source 101 and first window 102 may be greater than or equal to 5 millimeters (mm) to reduce or minimize the risk of backscatter of primary emission 104.
  • primary emission 104 has an energy less than or equal to 1000 eV, and the length in the downstream direction of containment structure 100 is greater than 1mm, preferably greater than 5 mm. In other embodiments primary emission has an energy greater than 1000 eV and the distance between primary emission source 101 and first window 102 is preferably 25 mm or more.
  • Primary emission source 101 is disposed within atmosphere 103, i.e., within a first region defined at least in part by first containment structure 100.
  • Primary emission source 101 may include one or a plurality of emitters, wherein each emitter is configured to produce primary emission 104 in the form of or including electromagnetic energy (e.g. photons) subatomic particles (electrons, neutrons, etc.) alone or in combination with one or more chemical species (e.g., one or more rare earth gases such as Ar or Xe or similar gases, low atomic weight organic gases) which may or may not be ionized.
  • electromagnetic energy e.g. photons
  • subatomic particles electrons, neutrons, etc.
  • chemical species e.g., one or more rare earth gases such as Ar or Xe or similar gases, low atomic weight organic gases
  • Noble gases such as diatomic He, Ne, Ar, and Xe in a mixture combination with water molecules or other low organic compounds are known to have excited electron energy states that are capable of inducing chemical species of the water or other low molecular weight organic compounds which is dependent upon the energy state, temperature and pressure of the noble gas.
  • suitable sources include sources that produce photons, electrons, neutrons, gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet light, vacuum ultraviolet light, combinations thereof, and the like, in any suitable manner.
  • primary emission source 101 is an electron beam source, and primary emission 104 is in the form of electrons. More specifically, in embodiments primary emission source 101 is an electron beam source that includes at least one field emitter element with a base portion, a first end disposed over the base portion, a field emitter disposed proximate to a second end that is opposite to the first end, and at least one electrode disposed proximate to the second end of the at least one field emitter element. The at least one electrode is configured to apply a voltage proximate to the field emitter tip of the at least one field emitter elements to extract electrons from the at least one field emitter tip and form an electron beam.
  • one or more anodes may be present in the atmosphere 103 of first containment structure 100.
  • the one or more anodes are configured to accelerate the electron beam toward a downstream chamber, e.g., through first window 102.
  • Non-limiting examples of such a source include the sources described, for example, in U.S. Patent Nos. 10,431,412, 10,319,554, 9,748,071, 9,196,447, 8,198,106, and U.S. Pre-Grant Publication Nos. 2018/0374669 and 2019/0074154, the entire contents of all of which are herein incorporated by reference.
  • primary emission source 101 is a cathode discharge tube, x-ray source, neutron source, or a source of ultraviolet (e.g., vacuum ultraviolet) light, such as an x-ray tube.
  • primary emission source 101 is generally configured to produce a primary emission 104 with a first energy level (El).
  • primary emission source 101 is or includes an electron beam source (such as those noted above), and is configured to produce an electron beam with a first energy level (El) ranging from 3 keV to 1000 kiloelectronvolts (keV), such as from 3 to 1000 eV for a low energy electron source, 1 to 1000 keV for a higher electron energy source.
  • primary emission source is or includes an electron beam source (such as those noted above), and is configured to produce an electron beam with a first energy level (El) ranging from 3 keV to 1000 kiloelectronvolts (keV), such as from 3 to 1000 eV for a low energy electron source, 1 to 1000 keV for a higher electron energy source.
  • keV kiloelectronvolts
  • primary emission source 101 is or includes a photon source, and is configured to generate photons with a first energy level (El) ranging from 3 keV to 1000 keV.
  • primary emission source 101 may be a source of ultraviolet (UV) light, such as a vacuum UV light, such as an x-ray tube.
  • UV ultraviolet
  • First window 102 generally functions to maintain the vacuum or partial atmospheric pressure within atmosphere 103, while permitting transmission of at least a portion of primary emission 104 that has an energy level (El). More particularly, first window 102 generally functions to transmit all or some portion of photons and/or electrons in primary emission 104 with little or no backscatter. In embodiments first window 102 is a low absorption window, meaning that it is substantially transparent to (i.e., transmits greater than or equal to 50% of) incident electrons or photons with energy level El .
  • first window 102 may transmit greater than or equal to about 50%, such as greater than or equal to about 90%, or even greater than or equal to about 95% of photons and/or electrons of energy El within primary emission 104. In such instances, first window 102 may be understood to be a “low absorption” window with respect to primary emission 104.
  • First window 102 may be manufactured from any suitable material.
  • materials that may be used as or in first window 102 include UV fused quartz glass, graphene, diamond, indium tin oxide (ITO) overcoat film, beryllium foil, aluminum foil, other low z- materials, combinations thereof, and the like.
  • ITO indium tin oxide
  • First window 102 may have any suitable thickness, provided it is remains substantially transparent to primary emission 104. In embodiments, the thickness of first window 102
  • first window 102 depends on the material from which it is constructed, and ranges from greater than 0 to less than 20 mm.
  • first window 102 is formed from UV fused quartz glass and has a thickness greater than or equal to 2 mm (e.g., from 2-20mm).
  • first window 102 is formed from graphene and has a thickness of greater than or equal to O.lnm (e.g., from 0.1 to lnm).
  • first window is formed from diamond and has a thickness of greater than or equal to 2 mm (e.g., from 2 to 20 mm).
  • first window is an indium tin oxide (ITO) as a thin dielectric film acting as an antireflective layer on a substrate, wherein the film has a thickness greater than or equal to 0.5nm (e.g., 0.5 to 5nm).
  • ITO indium tin oxide
  • First containment structure 100 may have any suitable shape.
  • first containment structure is constructed as an elongated chamber having either a square or tube shape.
  • first containment structure 100 may include walls that define three sides of a first region containing atmosphere 103, with the fourth side of the first region being defined at least in part by first window 102.
  • First window 102 may be coupled to the first containment structure 100 in any suitable manner, provided that first window 102 can permit maintenance of a low pressure atmosphere (e.g., vacuum) within the cavity of first containment structure 100.
  • first window 102 may be coupled to the first containment structure 100 by an adhesive, a mechanical fastener, an interference fit joint, combinations thereof, and the like.
  • first window 102 is coupled to first containment structure by an adhesive that conforms to the NASA ASTM E595 standard as of December 1, 2019.
  • Non-limiting examples of such adhesives include EPO-TEK ⁇ adhesives manufactured by Epoxy Technology (Billerica, MA).
  • Tunable source 150 further includes a first inlet 106 (e.g. a pump stem) and first outlet 107 (e.g., another pump stem).
  • First inlet 106 and first outlet 107 are each fluidly coupled to first containment structure 100, and are in fluid communication with the cavity (i.e. atmosphere 103) therein.
  • first inlet 106 can be used to permit an inflow of a gas to condition the interior surfaces of the cavity within first containment structure 100 before a low pressure is created in atmosphere 103.
  • first outlet 107 permits the outflow' of gas from the cavity within the containment structure.
  • the interior surfaces of first containment structure 100 and window 102 containing atmosphere 103 are seasoned to reduce surface contaminants that may interfere with the primary emission 104. Seasoning may be accomplished, for example, by subjecting first containment structure 100 to multiple vacuum cycles followed by a 101,325 pascal (1 atmosphere) flush cycle of a noble gas, preferably argon, before operating primary emission source 101.
  • First inlet 106 and the first outlet 107 each include a valve 105 that functions to control the inflow or outflow of gas therethrough.
  • Each valve 105 may be manual or electronically actuatable.
  • the valves 105 are each an electronically actuatable valve that can be controlled, e.g., by a control system (not shown).
  • the control system may electronically control the pressure of atmosphere 103 within first containment structure 100, e.g., by controlling the degree to which valves 106, 107 are open or closed.
  • valves 106, 107 are fabricated of the same material as the first containment structure 100 (e.g., an aluminum or steel alloy) and are sealed thereto.
  • Tunable source 150 may further include or be coupled to a power supply (not shown).
  • first inlet 106 and first outlet 107 may be further be configured to allow an electrical connection between the power supply and the primary emission source 101 in a manner that allows the production and the unimpeded travel of the primary emission 104 within atmosphere 103.
  • the power supply is configured to permit the application of a variable voltage to primary emission source 101.
  • One or more sensors may be disposed within the cavity of first containment structure 100.
  • the sensors function to sense one or more environmental variables within the chamber of first containment structure 100.
  • environmental variables include pressure, temperature, or a combination thereof.
  • Each sensor is configured to provide a sensor signal to a controller (not shown), e.g., via wired or wireless communication, wherein the sensor signal that is indicative of one or more sensed environmental variables.
  • the controller may output control instructions to adjust the voltage applied to primary emission source 101 by the power supply, to regulate the primary emission 104 produced by primary emission source 101.
  • the controller may suspend operation of primary emission source 101, e.g., in response to detection of a pressure or temperature condition that would damage primary emission source 101 or cause it to deviate from producing an emission with a desired energy level.
  • Such control operations may or may not be accompanied by an alarm or other report that alerts a user of tunable source 150.
  • the power supply provides a controlled voltage to the primary emission source 101, e.g., ranging from 20 eV to 1000 keV.
  • the power supply may provide nominal control line voltages to the electron production devices that cause primary emission source 101 to produce primary emission 104.
  • Electrical control line voltages for valves and sensors are nominally less than 28 VDC.
  • primary emission 104 may be in the form of electrons, photons, one or more chemical species (e.g., ions, neutral radicals, etc.), or a combination thereof. Following its production, primary emission 104 may be transmitted through (e.g., propagate through) atmosphere 103. At least a portion of the primary emission 104 will be incident on and pass through the first window 102, as discussed above. While the present disclosure focuses on embodiments in which electrons are emitted as primary emission 104 and transmit through first window 102, primary emission 104 is not limited thereto.
  • primary emission 104 may be in the form of energetic charged particles, such as ionized hydrogen (protons). When used, such particles can also transit window 102, particularly when window' 102 is formed from graphene or another low z material.
  • the portion of primary emission 104 that passes through first window 102 may be directed downstream of the first window 102 and into one or more of optional coupling structure 200, second containment structure 110 (e.g., an intermediate containment structure), or third containment structure 120, either sequentially or directly.
  • optional coupling structure 200 second containment structure 110 (e.g., an intermediate containment structure), or third containment structure 120, either sequentially or directly.
  • FIG. 1 depicts one example of a tunable source that includes a single first containment structure 100 (i.e., first emission chamber), a single optional coupling structure 200, second containment structure 110, and third containment structure 120 (i.e., first output chamber) second coupling structure 200.
  • tunable source 150 may include any suitable number of first containment structures 100, second containment structures 110, third containment structures 120, and optional coupling structures 200.
  • tunable source 150 may include 2, 3, 4, 5 or more first containment structures (i.e., emission chambers) and a corresponding number of optional coupling structures 200, second containment structures 110, and third containment structures 120.
  • first containment structure 100, optional coupling structure 200, second containment structure 110, and third containment structure 120 need not be coupled to one another in the manner shown.
  • one or more of such elements may be discrete from (i.e., not mechanically coupled to) one or more adjacent components, though the flow path of primary emission (and any downstream emissions) may remain the same.
  • optional coupling structure 200 generally functions to couple first containment structure 100 to second containment structure 110 and/or third containment structure 120.
  • coupling structure 200 may serve as a buffer between the atmosphere 103 (w'hich may be relatively low pressure/vacuum) within first containment structure 100 and the atmosphere 112 within second containment structure 110.
  • optional coupling structure includes a second window 202.
  • Second window 202 is selected to be transparent to all or a portion of the primary emission 104 and/or secondary emission 209.
  • primary emission 104 and secondary emission 209 includes components with different energy levels (e.g., El vs. E2)
  • second window 202 may be configured to transmit both the El emission and the E2 emission, or the or only one of the El and E2 emissions.
  • the materials and thickness of the second window 202 may be the same as or similar to window 102.
  • the second containment structure 110 may be sealed to second window 202 and coupled to first containment structure 100 (and/or first window 102) such that second window
  • atmosphere 203 has a pressure P2 that is higher than the pressure PI of atmosphere 103, but which is lower than the pressure P3 of atmosphere 112 within third containment structure 120. That is, in embodiments PI ⁇ P2 ⁇ P3.
  • the pressure P2 of atmosphere 203 may support first and second windows 102, 202, and prevent such windows from breaking/collapsing due to the difference between PI and P3 while tunable source 150 is in operation.
  • thin graphene window previously described can withstand a pressure differential of 1000 pascal or more.
  • a preferred pressure differential between PI and P3 is between 101,000 to 150,000 pascals.
  • Optional coupling structure 200 further includes a second inlet 206 and second outlet 207.
  • second inlet 206 and second outlet 207 are fluidly coupled to a region within optional coupling structure 200 that contains atmosphere 203.
  • valve 203 may be regulated by controlling the flow of gas into and out of second inlet 206 and second outlet 207, respectively.
  • Such flow control may be accomplished using valves 205 which, like valves 105, may be manual or electronically actuatable valves.
  • valves 205 are electronically actuatable valves that are controlled by a controller (not shown), and the controller functions to control the pressure P2 within optional coupling structure 200 by controlling valves 205 and, hence, the flow rate of gas into and out of second inlet 206 and second outlet 207.
  • second inlet 206 and second outlet 207 may further be configured to allow an electrical connection between valves 205 and one or more power supplies (not shown).
  • the electrical connection may additionally enable transmission and reception of sensor signals from one or more sensors within optional coupling structure 200 and control signals from a controller (also not shown).
  • the sensors function to sense one or more environmental variables within optional coupling structure 200, and transmit sensor signals that include data indicative of an environmental variable within optional coupling structure 200 to the controller.
  • the controller may issue control instructions that regulate the voltage applied to primary emission source 101, and/or type of gas or mixtures of gases and the pressure of or within atmosphere 203 through either manual or programmatic inputs.
  • Non-limiting examples of environmental variables that may be monitored include pressure, temperature, or a combination thereof.
  • primary emission 104 passes through first window 102 and into the atmosphere 203 of optional coupling structure 200.
  • Primary emission 104 may interact with gas 208 within atmosphere 203, or it may pass through atmosphere 203 without such interaction.
  • at least a portion of primary emission 104 interacts with gas 208 within atmosphere 203, resulting in a photochemical or radiochemical interaction that produces a secondary emission.
  • primary emission 104 may include first photons, first electrons, first chemical species, or a combination thereof.
  • first photons and/or first electrons passing through first window 102 may interact with gas 208, resulting in the generation of a secondary emission 209 that includes photons, second chemical species (e.g. ions, neutral radicals, fragments or the like) combinations thereof, and the like.
  • the secondary emission 209 may have an energy level E2 that is less than the energy level El of primary emission 104.
  • any suitable gas or mixture of gases may be used to form atmosphere 203.
  • suitable gases that may form or be included in atmosphere 203 include monatomic and molecular gases, such as noble rare earth gases or oxygen, nitrogen, or low atomic weight organic and inorganic gases, or combination thereof.
  • the gases within atmosphere 203 are have low absoiption cross section for the incident emissions art a pressure used to support the differential pressure between windows 102 and 202 discussed above.
  • the cross section of such gases to the incident emissions is dependent upon various parameters, including temperature and pressure. Such parameters can be managed in part by setting the downstream path distance of the coupling structure 200 to optimize the desired output.
  • Preferred gases for use as or in atmosphere 203 include He, Ne, Ar, or Xe.
  • atmosphere 203 includes at least one gas with an electron or bond having an energy level that is substantially matched to photons or electrons within primary emission 104.
  • atmosphere 203 includes hydrogen gas, which has measured electron photoionization absorption cross section of 0.01 MBam and less than 0.00001 MBarn for 100 eV and 1 keV electrons respectively.
  • atmospheres 112 and 203 both include xenon gas, which has measured electron photoionization absoiption cross section of 60 MBarn and less than 2 MBarn for 100 eV and 1 keV electrons respectively.
  • first photons and/or electrons within primary emission 104 may have a first energy El that is substantially matched to the energy level of at least one gas with an electron, bond, atomic nucleus, etc. in atmosphere 203.
  • secondary emission 209 includes photons (hereinafter, “second photons”) and/or chemical species (second chemical species) such as a double radical (Ar**) of argon gas, that have an energy level E2 that is less than the El of first photons and/or electrons within primary emission 104.
  • the photons and/or chemical species of secondary emission 209 may have a second energy level (E2) that is less than the first energy level (El) of the photons, electrons, and/or chemical species of primary emission 104 and is different than the energy level (E3) of downstream tertiary emission 117.
  • the second photons and/or second electrons may have an energy level that is substantially matched to a target (e.g., a conversion medium) in a containment structure downstream of optional coupling structure 200.
  • a target e.g., a conversion medium
  • less than 80% of secondary emission 209 transmits through window 202, and the composition of atmosphere 203 is selected to minimize or even prevent the generation of secondary emission 209.
  • First and second windows 102, 202 may be substantially transparent to the second photons and/or electrons in secondary emission 209, but may be opaque to the second chemical species (e.g. ions, neutral charged radical particles, etc.) generated by that interaction.
  • the second chemical species e.g. ions, neutral charged radical particles, etc.
  • first window 102 may also be substantially opaque to the second photons and/or second electrons.
  • first window 102 may reflect or absorb greater than or equal to about 90%, greater than or equal to about 95%, or even greater than or equal to about 99% of second photons/electrons incident thereon.
  • electrons in secondary emission 209 may have insufficient energy to transmit through or may be backscattered by window 102 or window 202.
  • neutral Xe gas may be used in atmosphere 203 and may produce a strong single electron photoionization emission spectrum at wavelength 823.16 nm (infrared light) corresponding to 1000 intensity peak value, and may not be sufficiently energic to transmit through window 102 or window 202.
  • second chemical species of secondary emission 209 may be contained within atmosphere 203 or evacuated via second outlet 207, while at least a portion of the second photons/electrons in secondary emission 209 pass through second window 202 and into second containment structure 110.
  • second containment structure 110 is not mechanically coupled to optional coupling structure 200, at least a portion of the second photons/electrons of secondary emission 209 may be directed into the surrounding environment, which may be a vacuum, atmosphere, liquid.
  • all or a portion of primary emission 104 entering atmosphere 203 does not interact with gas 208.
  • all or a portion of the primary emission 104 may pass through second window 202, e.g., into the surrounding environment or second containment structure 110.
  • at least a portion of the first photons of primary emission 104 pass through second window' 202 into second containment structure 110.
  • primary emission 104 includes 400 eV photons and second window 202 is a beryllium foil.
  • > 80% (e.g., > 90%, or even > 95% of the 400 eV photons incident on second window 102 transmit therethrough.
  • FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment in which a single optional coupling structure 200 is used in conjunction with three containment chambers.
  • optional coupling structure 200 may be omitted or multiple optional coupling structures 200 may be used.
  • the portion of primary emission 104 passing through first window 102 may be directed into the environment surrounding first containment structure 100 (e.g., vacuum, gas atmosphere, or liquid) or directly into second containment structure 110. That is, a first end of housing of second containment structure 110 may be coupled to first window 102 or a housing of first containment structure 100, such that a cavity is defined at least in part by the housing of second containment structure 110, first window 102, and third window 111. In such instances secondary emission 209 is omitted.
  • each coupling structure may include a cavity that is defined at least in part by a housing that includes an additional window, and a window of a previous coupling structure and/or containment structure.
  • each of the additional coupling structures may include the elements of optional coupling structure 200 described above.
  • Each of the additional coupling structures may include a cavity with an atmosphere (e.g., vacuum or gas) therein, which is the same as or differs from the atmosphere of one or more adjacent coupling structures (i.e. coupling structures upstream or downstream of the coupling structure under consideration).
  • tunable source 150 includes a plurality of (i.e., 2, 3, 4 or more) of coupling structures, wherein each coupling structure includes the elements of optional coupling structure 200 and has a cavity with a gaseous atmosphere or vacuum.
  • each of the coupling structures includes a gas atmosphere, wherein the pressure of the atmosphere of upstream coupling structures is less than the pressure of the atmosphere of downstream coupling structures.
  • the gas(es) in the atmosphere of each coupling structure may be the same or different.
  • a controller may control the type of gas or mixtures of gases and the pressure of within coupling structure 200, first containment structure 100, second containment structure 110, third containment structure 120, etc. through either manual or programmatic inputs that control gas inflow and outflow through inlets and outlets of such structures.
  • each emission will generally be of lower energy than the energy of an incident emission (i.e., an emission received from a previous coupling or containment structure)
  • Second containment structure 110 includes many of the same elements as first containment structure, but does not include primary emission source 101. More specifically, second containment structure 110 includes a housing comprising one or more walls that at least partially define a cavity containing an atmosphere 112 therein.
  • the housing of second containment structure 110 is in the form of a hollow geometric shape (e.g., a hollow cylinder, a hollow rectangle) that has a first end and a second end, wherein the second window 202 seals with closes the first end, and a third window 111 seals with and closes the second end. In that way, cavity within second containment structure 110 is at least partially defined by second window 202 and third window 111.
  • Third window 111 may be manufactured from one or more of UV fused quartz glass, floated borosilicate glass, MgF2, LiF, CaF2, graphene, diamond, an indium tin oxide (ITO) film on a substrate, an aluminum oxide film on a substrate, beryllium foil, aluminum foil, other low z- materials (e.g., floated borosilicate glass), combinations thereof, and the like.
  • third window 111 is formed from UV fused quartz glass, graphene, diamond, an indium tin oxide (ITO) film on a substrate, floated borosilicate glass, or a combination thereof.
  • third window 111 is graphene or a foil of a low z material such as beryllium.
  • each optional power grid may be located within second containment structure 110 adjacent to the window 202 or window 111.
  • each optional power grid includes a wire mesh grid with > 98% open space to enable nearly unimpeded passage of primary emission 104 and/or secondary emission 209 and/or tertiary emission 117.
  • the optional power grid may transmit greater than or equal to about 90%, greater than or equal to about 95%, or even greater than or equal to about 99% of primary emission 104.
  • a bias voltage may be applied to the mesh grid to accelerate or decelerate charged ions and/or particles. The bias voltage may be increased or decreased to adjust the energy level of the ions and/or particles accordingly.
  • the one or more optional power grids are fabricated with wire or other microelectronic fabrication techniques using titanium, molybdenum alloy, rhenium- tungsten, or other similar materials and include suitable means for connection to a power source.
  • Each optional power grid should not contact window 202 or third window 111 , so that charged ions and/or particles can interact with the second window 202 or third window 111.
  • Second containment structure 110 further includes a third inlet 113 and third outlet 114.
  • third inlet 113 and third outlet 114 are fluidly coupled to a region within second containment structure 110 that contains atmosphere 112.
  • the pressure P3 of atmosphere 112 may be regulated by controlling the flow of gas into and out of third inlet 113 and third outlet 114, respectively.
  • Such flow control may be accomplished using valves 115 which, like valves 105 and 205, may be manual or electronically actuatable valves.
  • valves 155 are electronically actuatable valves that are controlled by a controller (not shown), and the controller functions to control the pressure P3 within second containment structure 110 by controlling valves 115 and, hence, the flow rate of gas into and out of third inlet 113 and third outlet 114.
  • any suitable gas or mixture of gases 116 may be used to form atmosphere 112.
  • suitable gases that may form or be included in atmosphere 112 include monatomic and molecular gases, such as noble rare earth gases (such as He, Ne, Ar, and Xe), oxygen, nitrogen, and organic and/or inorganic gases such as ethane, propane, methane, butane, ammonia, water, etc., combinations thereof and the like.
  • atmosphere 112 includes at least one gas with a nucleus, electron or bond having an energy level that is substantially matched to photons or electrons within primary emission 104 and/or secondary emission 209 (if present).
  • third inlet 113 and third outlet 114 may further be configured to allow an electrical connection between valves 115 and one or more power supplies (not shown).
  • the electrical connection may enable communication between one or more sensors (not shown) within second containment structure 110 and a controller (also not shown).
  • sensors within second containment structure 110 function to sense one or more environmental variables within second containment structure 110 and transmit sensor signals that include data indicative of an environmental variable within second containment structure 110 to the controller. Based on the sensor signals, the controller may issue control instructions that regulate the voltage applied to primary emission source 101, the voltage applied to an optional power grid, the type of gas or mixtures of gases in atmosphere 112, and/or the pressure of atmosphere 112 through either manual or programmatic inputs.
  • control instructions that regulate the voltage applied to primary emission source 101, the voltage applied to an optional power grid, the type of gas or mixtures of gases in atmosphere 112, and/or the pressure of atmosphere 112 through either manual or programmatic inputs.
  • Non-limiting examples of environmental variables that may be monitored include pressure, temperature, gas pressure, gas flow rate, voltages, including modification of process time (recipe management).
  • control of the measured output of total desired energy level may be controlled by sensing the accumulated energy produced by increasing the time of powered ON condition or by increased or decreased to alter the desire intensity of output the delivery of the pressure of a gas.
  • sensors that may be used in second containment structure include pressure sensors, gas flow sensors, temperature sensors, voltage sensors, combinations thereof, and the like.
  • atmosphere 112 may include one or more gases 116, and may have a pressure P3 that is higher than the pressure P2 of optional coupling structure 200 and the pressure PI of first containment structure 100.
  • atmosphere 112 has a pressure P3 that facilitates interaction between one or more of primary emission 104 and secondary emission 209 with gas present in atmosphere 112.
  • atmospheres 112 and 203 include xenon gas, and produce a 147 nm emission.
  • the pressure of atmosphere 112 ranges from 100 to 1,100,000 pascals or more
  • primary emission 104 includes VUV photons.
  • the VUV photons interact with and excite xenon atoms in atmosphere 112 by electron collisions to the Xe*(3Pl) state.
  • the excited xenon atoms may then produce an emission 117 in the form of 8.4 eV resonance line radiation.
  • this process is considered very efficient ( ⁇ 70%) but is limited due to self-absorption property in the gas.
  • atmosphere 112 is an atmosphere of Xe, a 50/50 or 40/60 mixture of Ne/Xe, KrCl, or preferably KrBr gas, wherein the atmosphere has a pressure of greater than or equal to 600,000 pascals, and preferably greater than or equal to 1,100,000 pascals for all admixture gases except KrBr.
  • a low bromine density in KrBr gas mixture increases the emission of 202 to 207 nm emission with a bromine percentage of 0.1% for a pressure greater than of 150,000 pascals, preferably greater than 400,000 pascals.
  • the primary emission 104 includes pulsed soft x-ray photons with a frequency of greater than about 100 Hz and preferably greater than or equal to 10,000 Hz or greater rate result in the higher energy soft x-ray photons in the 15-5000 eV energy range to stimulate a plasma emission in the gas chamber that produces near VUV and far-UVC photos with an energy between 5.6 - 7.5 eV (165-222 nm), and which can be transmitted up to 600 cm distance or more through air and up to 600 cm distance through liquid water.
  • These near-VUV and far-UVC photons have a greater absorption rate than lower energy UV photons for pathogens and long lived stable molecules.
  • atmosphere 112 includes Xenon at a pressure of 101,000 pascals
  • primary emission 104 includes VUV photons.
  • VUV photons incident on the Xe atoms within atmosphere 112 excite the Xe atoms to the Xe* state.
  • the Xe* atoms may react in a three-body collision to form Xe2*(l ⁇ u+, 3 ⁇ u+) excimer complexes, which emit at 7.2 eV (2nd excimer continuum). That emission can be pumped at very high-power densities (>lMW/cm3) and is not subjected to self-absorption because the excimer has no stable ground state.
  • Emission in the 7.2 eV range is at the edge of the water vapor transmission window which has been shown effective in interacting with peptide bonds.
  • atmosphere 112 included a 95/5 ratio mixture of Xe/He , and produced approximately 100,000 times greater emission in the 10-13 nm range than pure Xe when excited with 1.15 eV photons under a pressure of 1,100,000 pascals.
  • the penning transfer mechanism of gas mixtures enables the generous production of photon emissions to energy levels that would not readily be produced by a single gas constituent. Emission in the 10-13 nm range have been shown to be highly effective in interacting with DNA molecules.
  • Xe gas at a pressure of about 1 Torr was used in atmosphere 112.
  • a primary emission was used to produce Xe ions from the Xe gas, and the ions were accelerated by a 32V peak to peak oscillating power grid to a velocity between 9 to 14 km/second.
  • This example configuration is potentially useful as a propulsion system (e.g., for space travel), such as an ion propulsion engine demonstrated by the National Aeronautical and Space Administration’s (NASA) ongoing Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) project.
  • NSA National Aeronautical and Space Administration
  • AEPS Advanced Electric Propulsion System
  • the temperature of containment structure 100, coupling structure 200 and second containment structure 110 may be monitored to prevent overheating and damage to any of the components contained therein.
  • the pressure of first containment structure 100, coupling structure 200, and second containment structure 110 may also be monitored.
  • the controller (not shown) may adjust each valve 105 separately or concurrently to maintain the pressure of the atmosphere within each of those structures to less than 5% variation from a target pressure for each structure.
  • Gas or a gas mixture may be static or continuously flow into and out of first containment structure 100, coupling structure 200, and second containment structure 110. In the latter instance, the gas flow rate into and out of such structures may be controlled to within 5% of a target flow rate.
  • the controller may alter the gas pressures, flow rates, voltages, spatial-temporal conditions of any of the containment/coupling structures 100, 200 and 110 including the duty cycle to conform to a predetermined set of operational or recipe conditions and/or suspend operation of tunable source 150 in a non-conforming condition.
  • primary emission 104 and/or secondary emission 209 may interact (chemically, photochemically, or radio chemically) with gas 116 within atmosphere 112, resulting in the production of a tertiary emission 117.
  • gas 116 may act as a conversion medium for primary emission 104 and/or secondary emission 209.
  • primary emission 104 may include first photons, first electrons, first chemical species, or a combination thereof.
  • first photons and/or first electrons passing through first window 102 and second window 202 may interact with gas 116 within atmosphere 112, resulting in the generation of a tertiary emission 117 that includes photons, chemical species (e.g., ions, neutral charged radicals, fragments or the like) combinations thereof, and the like.
  • chemical species e.g., ions, neutral charged radicals, fragments or the like
  • the same or different chemical, photochemical and or radiochemical interactions may occur between gas 116 and second photons and/or second electrons in secondary emission 209.
  • tertiary emission 117 includes photons (hereinafter, “third photons”) and/or chemical species (third chemical species) that have an energy level E3 that is less than the energy level El of first photons or electrons within primary emission 104 and the energy level E2 of second photons or electrons within secondary emission 209.
  • the third photons, electrons, and/or chemical species of tertiary emission 117 may have a third energy level (E3) that is less than the first energy level (El) of the photons, electrons, and/or chemical species of primary emission 104 and less than the second energy level (E2) of the photons, electrons, and/or chemical species of secondary emission 209.
  • an optional power grid may be placed in atmosphere 112 and used to accelerate the ions in tertiary emission 117 to an energy greater than the energy levels El and/or E2 of primary emission 104 or secondary emission 209.
  • E3 is substantially matched to an energy level of a nucleus, electron, or bond of a target (e.g., a gas, liquid, solid) in a downstream containment structure, such as third containment structure 120.
  • Second window 202 and third window 111 may be substantially transparent to the third photons and/or electrons in secondary emission 209, but may be opaque to third chemical species (e.g. ions, neutral charged radical particles, etc.) generated by that interaction.
  • third chemical species e.g. ions, neutral charged radical particles, etc.
  • second window 202 may also be substantially opaque to the second photons and/or second electrons.
  • the previously discussed optional power grid or grids may accelerate charged components within tertiary emission 117 (e.g., ions, electrons, protons, etc. to an energy that allows them to transmit through third window 111.
  • Kinetic collisions of accelerated charged components within the tertiary emission may also transport neutrons through third window 111, particularly when third window 111 is formed of graphene or similar low z- material. That being said, third window 111 can be made of the same or different materials as windows 102, 202.
  • third window 111 is formed from graphene, carbon nanotubes, beryllium, or other low z-material.
  • tertiary emission 117 includes chemical species
  • such chemical species may be contained within atmosphere 203 or evacuated via third outlet 114, while at least a portion of the third photons/electrons in tertiary emission 117 pass through third window 111 and into third containment structure 120.
  • second containment structure 110 is not mechanically coupled to third containment structure 120 (or third containment structure 120 is omitted)
  • at least a portion of the third photons/electrons of tertiary emission 117 may be directed into the surrounding environment, which may be a vacuum, atmosphere, liquid.
  • all or a portion of primary emission 104 entering atmosphere 112 does not interact with atmosphere 103, 203, 112 and windows 102, 202, and 111. In such instances, all or a portion of the primary emission 104 may pass through third window 111, e.g., into the surrounding environment or third containment structure 120. In the embodiment of FIG.
  • tunable source 150 is configured such that a significant amount of primary emission 104 entering atmosphere 112 interacts with gas 116 to produce tertiary emission 117.
  • primary emission 104 and atmosphere 112 may be configured such that 95% or more of primary emission 104 entering atmosphere 112 interacts with gas 116 to produce tertiary emission 117.
  • FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment in which a single second containment structure 110 is used, e.g., as an intermediate containment structure between primary emission chamber and third containment structure 120 (i.e., an output chamber). That structure is not required, and more than one second containment structure 110 may be used. In instances where multiple second containment structures 110 are used, each of those containment structures may include a cavity/chamber that is defined at least in part by a housing that includes an additional window, and a window of a previous coupling structure and/or containment structure. In such instances, each of the additional coupling structures may include the elements of second containment structure 110.
  • each of the additional coupling structures may include a cavity with an atmosphere (e.g., vacuum or gas) therein, which is the same as or differs from the atmosphere of one or more adjacent containment structures (i.e. containment structures upstream or downstream of the containment structure under consideration).
  • tunable source 150 includes a plurality of (i.e., 2, 3, 4 or more) of intermediate containment structures between a primary emission chamber (i.e., first containment structure 100) and an output chamber (i.e., third containment structure 120) and includes the elements of second containment structure 110 and/or third containment structure 120.
  • the tunable sources described herein include a plurality of second containment structures 110, wherein each of the containment structures includes a gas atmosphere that is the same as or different from an atmosphere of an upstream or downstream containment structure.
  • the gas(es) in the atmosphere of each containment structure may be the same or different as the gas(es) in the atmosphere of an upstream or downstream containment structure.
  • the controller may control valves 105 such that they open and close to allow the flow of different gases to exit and enter containment structures 100, 110, 120 and optional coupling structure 200.
  • the controller may adjust the power level applied to primary emission source 101 and the atmospheric conditions within each of the containment structures and/or coupling structures to achieve a desired final output.
  • tunable source 150 is configured to produce neutrons, vacuum UV photons, ions, and/or particle fragments.
  • first containment structure 100 may include an atmosphere 103 of N2 gas, and first window 102 is formed from beryllium.
  • a primary emission 104(e.g., electrons) with the N2 atmosphere produces an L shell emission of X-Rays that passes through the beryllium window into a downstream containment structure, such as second containment structure 110 or third containment structure 120 (if second containment structure 110 is omitted), wherein the downstream containment structure includes an atmosphere containing Xe, Kr, KrBr, and/or KrCl gas, or admixtures of such gases with Ar, Ne, and/or He that are known to have emissions with an energy less than 10 eV, such as between 6.2 and 8.2 eV.
  • third containment structure 120 includes many of the same elements as second containment structure 110. Unlike the seconding containment structure 110, however, third containment structure 120 includes an open end that allows a final output produced in the cavity thereof to flow/propagate into the surrounding environment. More specifically, third containment structure 120 includes a housing 122 comprising one or more walls that at least partially define a cavity therein.
  • the housing 122 is in the form of a hollow geometric shape (e.g., a hollow cylinder, a hollow rectangle) that has a first end 136 and a second end 137, wherein the third window 111 seals with and closes the first end 136. In that way, the cavity within third containment structure 120 is at least partially defined by third window 111 and the housing 122.
  • a hollow geometric shape e.g., a hollow cylinder, a hollow rectangle
  • Third containment structure 120 further includes one or more inlets that are fluidly coupled to the cavity within housing 122.
  • third containment structure 120 includes fourth and fifth inlets 132, 133, but any suitable number of inlets may be used.
  • third containment structure 120 may include 1, 2, 3, 4, or more inlets.
  • Fourth and fifth inlets 132, 133 are configured to provide a flow of one or more gases 121, 125, respectively, into the cavity of third containment structure 120.
  • Any suitable gases may be used as gases 121, 125, and the gases 121, 125 may be the same or different.
  • suitable gases that may be used as or in gases 121, 125 include monatomic and molecular gases, such as noble gases (e.g., He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, Rn), oxygen, nitrogen, organic and/or inorganic gases such as ethane, propane, methane, butane, ammonia, water, combinations thereof and the like.
  • gases 121 and 125 are the same, and are selected to provide good particle fluidic transport characteristics and have low absorption cross section.
  • the flow of gas 121 and 125 provides a protective, relatively inert layer, of gas to the interior walls of containment structure 120.
  • gases 121 and 125 are both either Ar or Xe.
  • gases 121 and 125 are selected from the above mentioned gases and differ from one another.
  • gas 121 is Xe and gas 125 is Ne, and the flow rate of gas 121 and gas 125 is adjusted to 95/5 ratio mixture of Xe/Ne.
  • Gas 121 may also be formed from or include a combination of one or more gases that have relatively high photon production efficiency due to enhanced energy state interactions, and one or more gases that have good ion and particle fluidity (e.g., Ar, which is known to have high elastic energy collision without absorption due to its relatively higher ionization energy level as compared to other gases of interest.
  • gas 121 is the gas of interest and gas 125 is preferably Ar and/or Xe.
  • inlets 132, 133 may include one or more manual or electronically actuatable valves 135 (as shown at the bottom of third containment structure 120). Alternatively, one or more of inlets 132, 133 may be open (as shown at the top of third containment structure 120).
  • the inflow of gas 121 may contain a flow of gas adjacent to the interior walls of containment structure 120 that does not interact with tertiary emission 117 entering third containment structure 120 due to the good ion and particle fluidity of gases 121, 125.
  • the flow of gases 121, 125 into the cavity of third containment structure 120 may be regulated manually or electronically (e.g., by a controller).
  • the controller may receive sensor signals indicative of a sensed environment variable within the cavity of third containment structure 120, and adjust the flow of gases 121, 125 and/or a voltage applied to primary emission source 101 accordingly.
  • Each sensor is configured to provide a sensor signal to a controller, e.g., via wired or wireless communication, wherein the sensor signal that is indicative of one or more sensed environmental variables.
  • Non-limiting examples of environmental variables that may be monitored include pressure, temperature, gas flow rate, and combinations thereof.
  • the controller may output control instructions to adjust the voltage applied to primary emission source 101 by the power supply, to regulate the primary emission 104 produced by primary emission source 101.
  • a controller may continuously monitor the temperature and flow rate of gas 121 and 125 to ensure safe delivery to biological tissues that are to be treated downstream of third containment structure 120.
  • the controller may disable production of the primary emission source 101 in response to a detected pressure or temperature condition that would damage the device or deviate from the production of a final output 128 (i.e., quaternary emission) with a desired target energy.
  • a final output 128 of tunable source 150 is generated within third containment structure by the interaction of tertiary emission 117, secondary emission 209, and/or primary emission 104 with a target within third containment structure 120.
  • the final output 128 may include photons, electrons, neutrons, and/or chemical species (e.g., ions, free radicals, fragments, etc.), combinations thereof and the like. As shown, the final output 128 is vented from the open second end 137 of third containment structure 120.
  • third containment structure 120 may include one or more bypass channels. When used, such bypass channels may redirect all or a portion of the flow of gases
  • the resulting sidewall gas flows may flow relatively rapidly towards and through the second end 137 of third containment structure 120.
  • the sidewall gas flows may limit or even prevent the interaction of reactive chemical species (e.g., ions, free radicals, fragments, and the like) that may be present in final output 128 with the interior wall of the cavity of third containment structure 120.
  • the flow rate of gas 125 may be adjusted to create a positive pressure that is greater than or equal to the pressure of gas 121.
  • the flow of gas 125 may be adjusted so that the pressure of gas 125 is 10-30% (e.g., 20%) higher than the pressure of gas 121.
  • the combined pressure of gas 125 and 121 that flows out of the second end 137 of third containment structure 120 is generally higher than (e.g., 1.1 to 5 times greater than) the atmospheric pressure surrounding tunable source 150.
  • gas 121, 125 may also be directed into the interior portion of the cavity within third containment structure 120. Because the first end 136 is sealed, the flow of gases 121 and/or 125 is directed towards and out of the open second end 137 of third containment structure 120. Among other things, the flow of gas(es) 121, 125 may facilitate the conveyance of chemical species within final output 128 through the open second end 137 of the third containment structure 120. To further facilitate such venting, a movable sleeve 126 may be disposed around all or a portion of the second end 137. When used, movable sleeve may be biased (e.g., by a spring 134) towards second end 137.
  • movable sleeve 126 When a force overcoming the spring force of spring 134 is applied to movable sleeve 126 in a direction towards first end 136, movable sleeve 126 may move from an extended position (shown in FIG. 1) to a compressed position. When the force is removed (or reduced below the spring force of spring 134), movable sleeve may return to the extended position.
  • the housing 122 may further include a flange with a short pin 129 extending therefrom, and the movable sleeve 126 may include a flange with a long pin 130 extending therefrom.
  • the difference in height between short pin 129 and long pin 130 is selected to maintain a desired nominal distance to a surface with which the pins may come into contact, so as to ensure that an adequate venting path is present for venting gases 121, 125 and chemical species within final output 128.
  • gases 121, 125 may be selected to have an energy level that is substantially matched to an energy level of photons and/or electrons in at least the tertiary emission 117.
  • the energy level of photons and/or electrons within the tertiary emission may be substantially matched to an energy level of a target within third containment structure 120, such as a nucleus, electron, or bond within gases 121, 125.
  • tertiary emission 117 may interact with the target 123 (e.g., atoms or molecules of gas 121, 125) within the cavity of third containment structure 120. Such interaction results in a photochemical or radiochemical interaction that produces quaternary emission, i.e., final output 128.
  • tertiary emission 117 may include third photons, third electrons, third chemical species, or a combination thereof.
  • the third photons and/or third electrons passing through third window 111 first window 102 and second window 202 may interact with target 123, resulting in the generation of a final output 128 in the form of an emission that includes photons, electrons, chemical species (e.g., ions, neutral radical particles, fragments or the like such as OH*, Xe*, R*, etc.), combinations thereof, and the like.
  • the neutral radicals may consist of monoatomic or complex molecular particles that contain unpaired electrons, they may be electrically neutral that are usually highly reactive chemically and widely identified as preferred intermediate species of numerous biological reactions.
  • At least one of gases 121, 125 is Xenon gas, and target 123 is or includes Xe atoms.
  • tertiary emission 117 entering third containment structure 120 interacts with and excites Xe atoms, resulting in the production of photons having a wavelength of 172nm (7.2 eV).
  • Those photons are substantially matched to the pyridine-like structure found in DNA and peptide structures of pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and spores.
  • At least one of gases 121, 125 is oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, or a combination thereof
  • target 123 includes oxygen atoms/molecules, nitrogen atoms/molecules, and/or hydrogen atoms/molecules.
  • Tertiary emission 117 entering third containment structure 120 interacts with such atoms/molecules, resulting in the production of chemical species (e.g., ions, neutral charged radical particles) such as NO + , NO*, OH + , and/or OH*, which may be output from open second end 137.
  • chemical species e.g., ions, neutral charged radical particles
  • final output 128 includes photons (hereinafter, “fourth photons”) and/or fourth chemical species that have an energy level E4 that is less than the energy level E3 of third photons/electrons within tertiary emission 117 and, hence, the second and first energy levels (E2, El) of secondary emission 209 and primary emission 104, respectively.
  • Second window 202 and third window 111 may be substantially transparent to third photons, third electrons,), but may be opaque to certain chemical species (e.g. e.g., ions, neutral radical particles, etc.) generated by that interaction. In some instances, however, ions within secondary emission 209 may also pass through second window 202 and third window 11.
  • second window 202 and third window 111 may be formed graphene, carbon nanotubes, or another low Z material that has a low cross section for certain ions and particles, thus allowing at least some of such ions and particles in secondary emission 209 to pass there through.
  • second window 202 may also be substantially opaque to the second photons and/or second electrons.
  • second window 202 is formed from beryllium, which may transmit x-rays but not UV photons.
  • second window 202 may reflect or absorb greater than or equal to about 90%, greater than or equal to about 95%, or even greater than or equal to about 99% of second photons/electrons incident thereon.
  • tunable source 150 does not include optional coupling structure 200, and second containment structure 110 is coupled directly to first containment structure 100.
  • tunable source 150 does not include optional coupling structure 200, and/or second containment structure 110, and third containment structure 120 is coupled directly to first containment structure 100.
  • a further example includes a primary emission source 101 in the form of a field emission array (FEA) that, in operation, emits a primary emission 104 in the form of accelerated electrons with a first energy level (El) of 20 eV or more.
  • Atmosphere 103 of first containment structure 100 is a vacuum with a pressure of less than 1000 pascal.
  • First window 102 is graphene film having a thickness of greater than or equal to 2 nm, and can maintain structural integrity with a pressure differential between atmosphere 103 and atmosphere 203 of greater than or equal to 1000 pascal.
  • Xenon (Xe) and/or mixture of alternative gases such as 95/5 ratio mixture of Xe/Ne, is introduced into second containment structure 110 via third inlet 113 until atmosphere 112 has a pressure of greater than or equal to 500 pascal, such as greater than or equal to 1000 pascal. That pressure may be maintained by continuously flowing Xe gas and/or or mixture of alternative gases into third inlet 113 and out third outlet 114, or by flowing Xe gas into third inlet 113 while third outlet 114 is closed until the desired pressure is reached, at which time third inlet 113 may be closed.
  • a portion of the primary emission 104 transmitted through window 202 interacts with the Xe gas and/or mixture of alternative gases to produce a tertiary emission 117 including Xe ions, Xe free radicals, and/or 172 nm (7.2 eV) photons, which were of lower energy than the 20 eV electrons within primary emission 104.
  • third window 111 is fabricated from quartz glass (e.g., UV fused quartz glass), and has a low absorption coefficient for the 172 nm (7.2 eV) photons present in the tertiary emission 117, but is substantially opaque to the argon ions and free radicals therein. Window 111 may also be configured (e.g., with a curved surface) to focus tertiary emission 117, if desired.
  • quartz glass e.g., UV fused quartz glass
  • Window 111 may also be configured (e.g., with a curved surface) to focus tertiary emission 117, if desired.
  • Gas 121, 125 may be flowed into fourth inlet 132 and optionally fifth inlet 133 until the pressure within the cavity of third containment structure 120 is greater than (e.g., 100 pascals higher than) the atmospheric pressure outside tunable source 150. At least a portion of the flow of gas 121, 125 is diverted to provide a sidewall gas flow, which in this case is a flow of unexcited gas. The diverted flows of gas 121, 125 shield the interior wall of the third containment structure 120 and movable sleeve 126 from reactive chemical species.
  • argon or another noble gas may be flowed into fourth inlet 132 and optionally fifth inlet 133 until the pressure within the cavity of third containment structure 120 is greater than (e.g., 100 pascals higher than) the atmospheric pressure outside tunable source 150. At least a portion of the flow of gas 121, 125 is diverted to provide a sidewall gas flow, which in this case is a flow of unexcited gas. The diverted flows of
  • the gases 121 and 125 e.g., argon or other noble gas
  • the gases 121 and 125 does not photoionize with the constituents of tertiary emission 117 entering third containment structure 120 (i.e., the 172nm (7.2 eV) photons, Xe ions, and Xe radicals).
  • the flow of argon or other noble gas 121, 125 entrains the argon ions and argon radicals, causing them to flow out of second open end 137 of third containment structure prior to contacting the interior wall(s) of housing 122 or movable sleeve 126.
  • the 172nm photons also exit the open end 137 of third containment structure.
  • the 172 nm (7.2 eV) photons have an energy that is substantially matched to the absorption spectrum of N-aromatic molecule such as DNA or peptides, which has a peak energy spectrum at 7.2 eV (172 nm).
  • N-aromatic molecule such as DNA or peptides
  • 172 nm peak energy spectrum at 7.2 eV
  • each of the containment structures and coupling structures described herein may be provided as discrete modules that can be combined and/or interconnected with one another (e.g., reversibly coupled to) in any desired manner to produce emissions that are substantially matched to the energy level of a target nucleus, electron, bond, or molecule.
  • containment structures 100, 110, 120 and coupling structure 200 may be provided as discrete modules that can rearranged in any order and coupled with other containment structures and/or coupling structures to achieve a desired output. Consequently, tunable source 150 may be configured with any desired number of containment structures and coupling structures, which may be ordered in any manner to attain a desired final output.
  • the sources of the present disclosure are configured to selectively generates discrete energy levels of low energy X-rays, i.e., X-rays with an energy less than 1000 keV.
  • X-rays i.e., X-rays with an energy less than 1000 keV.
  • FIGS. 2-4 which are described in detail below.
  • FIG. 2 is a cross sectional diagram of another example of a tunable energy generation source consistent with the present disclosure.
  • tunable source 350 is configured to produce low energy X-rays using electron and gas interactions.
  • the tunable source 350 includes a first containment structure 300 that includes a first window 302.
  • Tunable source 350 further includes a coupling structure that includes a housing and a second window 322.
  • the housing of the coupling structure is coupled to the first containment structure 300, such that first window 302 is oriented towards and is spaced apart from second window 322.
  • Tunable source 350 further includes a second containment structure that includes a housing and a third window 316.
  • Tunable source 350 further includes a third containment structure that includes a fourth window 324.
  • the third containment structure is coupled to the second containment structure such that third window 316 is oriented towards and is spaced apart from fourth window 324.
  • first containment structure 300 is manufactured from a generally heat conducting, non-electrically conducting, non-magnetic material, such as aluminum or ceramic with phenolic or ceramic spacer in-between the metal and electrical circuity.
  • the first containment structure 300 is manufactured from a material with a heat conduction rate greater than 30 W/(m K), and an electrical resistivity value greater than 1*10 8 Ohm-m.
  • the first containment structure 300 may be configured to allow substantially unimpeded travel of the primary emission 304 within atmosphere 303 of a distance greater than 5mm, while reducing, minimizing, or even eliminating electron backscatter for electron sources with emissions less than 1000 eV.
  • windows 302, 322 are formed from graphene, carbon nanotubes or other low z-material.
  • the windows 302, 322 may be formed from beryllium or aluminum foil and the distance between primary emission source 301 and first window 302 is greater than 25 mm.
  • Tunable source 350 may further include an optional power grid or grids (not shown), which may be located within atmosphere 303 and adjacent to window 302, within atmosphere 317 and adjacent first and second windows 302 or 322, within atmosphere 318 and adjacent second and third windows 322 or 316, and/or within atmosphere 319 and adjacent third window 316 or fourth window 324.
  • the optional power grid or grids includes a wire mesh with sufficient open space to enable nearly unimpeded passage of primary emission 304, secondary emission/final output 315, and/or a tertiary emission through atmosphere 303, 317, 318 and/or 319.
  • each optional power grid includes a wire mesh grid with > 98%_open space to enable nearly unimpeded passage of primary emission 104 and/or secondary emission 209 and/or tertiary emission 117.
  • power grid may transmit greater than or equal to about 90%, greater than or equal to about 95%, or even greater than or equal to about 99%.
  • a bias voltage may be applied to the mesh grid or grids to either accelerate or decelerate ions and particles to adjust their energy level by applying an appropriate voltage.
  • the optional power grid or grids may be fabricated with wire or other microelectronic fabrication techniques using titanium, molybdenum alloy, rhenium-tungsten, or other similar materials with the necessary electrical connections.
  • the optional power grid or grids is/are not in contact with any of windows 302, 322, 316 or 324 - which may enable an interaction with the ions and particles and the surface the surface of window 302, 322, 316 or 324.
  • a primary emission source 301 is present in the atmosphere 303 of first containment structure 300.
  • Primary emission source 301 may be any suitable source, such as those noted above for source 101.
  • primary emission source 301 is an electron source in the form of including a field emission array.
  • primary emission source 101 is a cathode discharge tube.
  • Atmosphere 303 preferably has a pressure Plof less than or equal to 1000 pascal. Pressure PI may be achieved by closing valve 305 in first inlet 306 and drawing gas out of the atmosphere 303 via first outlet 307 until the desired pressure is achieved, after which valve 305 in first outlet 307 may be closed.
  • Primary emission source 301 may produce a primary emission 304 in the form of electrons of less than 100 eV. Such electrons may be accelerated to an energy of 100 keV or more, using one or more optional power grid (not shown) as previously described.
  • the first window 302 may be a film of graphene, carbon nanotubes, beryllium, or other low Z-material that can maintain structural integrity with a differential pressure of 101,000 pascal or more. In embodiments, first window 302 is a graphene film with a thickness greater than or equal to 2nm.
  • the coupling structure includes a second inlet 308, second outlet 309, and a second window 322.
  • the second inlet 308 and second outlet 309 are fluidly coupled to the atmosphere 317 between the first window 302 and second window 322.
  • the second window 322 may be graphene, carbon nanotubes or other low z-material such as beryllium or a similar film that can maintain structural integrity with a differential pressure of 1000 pascal or greater.
  • atmosphere 317 includes one or more monatomic and/or molecular gases, such as but not limited to noble rare earth gases, oxygen, nitrogen, organic and/or inorganic gases such as ethane, propane, methane, butane, ammonia, water, etc., combinations thereof and the like.
  • the gas(es) may be added to the cavity within the optional coupling member via second inlet 308, and may be exhausted from atmosphere 317 by outlet 311.
  • Manual or electronically controllable valves 305 may be present in second inlet 308 and second outer 309, as shown.
  • atmosphere 317 has a pressure P2 that is greater than pressure PI of atmosphere 303.
  • P2 may range from 50,000 to 101,000 pascal.
  • atmosphere 317 is or includes a first gas or gas mixture, and P2 is greater than or equal to about 1000 pascal.
  • primary emission source 301 is an FEA device producing primary emission 304 electrons of greater than 20 Ev, that substantially transmit through window 302 (a graphene film with thickness greater than 2 nm) window 302, that is accelerated to 300 eV or more by optional power grid (not shown), transmits through window 322, interacts with target 314 (Xe or other noble gas molecule at 150,000 pascal or greater, preferably 300,000 pascal or greater), to produce a 172 nm (7.2 eV) emission that transmits through window 316 (UV fused quartz glass with a thickness of at least 2 mm), followed by direct transmission into optional third containment structure 120 or to the environment surrounding first containment structure 300.
  • target 314 Xe or other noble gas molecule at 150,000 pascal or greater, preferably 300,000 pascal or greater
  • atmosphere 317 is or includes a first gas or gas mixture, and P2 is greater than or equal to about 1000 pascal, with primary emission source 301 being an FEA device producing primary emission 304 electrons of greater than 20 Ev.
  • the 20 eV electrons substantially transmit through window 302 (a graphene film having a thickness greater than 2 nm) and are accelerated to 300 eV or more by an optional power grid (not shown) within atmosphere 317.
  • the accelerated electrons substantially transmit through window 322 (a graphene film having a thickness greater than 2 nm) and enter atmosphere 318, which includes target 314, e.g., atoms of Xe or another noble gas at a pressure of greater than or equal to 150,000 pascals, preferably greater than or equal to 300,000 pascals.
  • target 314 e.g., atoms of Xe or another noble gas at a pressure of greater than or equal to 150,000 pascals, preferably greater than or equal to 300,000 pascals.
  • Interaction off the accelerated electrons with the target 314 produces a 172 nm (7.2 eV) emission that transmits through window 316 (which is formed from UV fused quartz glass having a thickness of 2 mm or more).
  • the 172 nm (7.2 eV) emission may be directly emitted into the atmosphere surrounding tunable source 350, or it may enter atmosphere 319 (e.g., when one or more downstream containment structures are used). In the latter case, the 172 nm (7.2 eV) final output 315 may pass through atmosphere 319 and be emitted into the atmosphere surrounding tunable source 350.
  • atmosphere 317 is or includes a first gas or gas mixture, and P2 is greater than or equal to about 1000 pascal.
  • primary emission source 301 is an FEA device that can produce a primary emission 304 in the form of electrons having an energy of greater than 20 eV with an energy density of up to 100 Amp/cm 2 .
  • the electrons in primary emission 304 substantially transmit through window 302, which is a graphene film having a thickness greater than or equal to 2 nm.
  • the electrons are accelerated to 100 keV or more by a power grid (not shown) within atmosphere 317.
  • the accelerated electrons substantially transmit through window 322, which is a beryllium or aluminum foil having a thickness of 0.2 mm or more.
  • Atmosphere 318 includes Xei29 and/or Xe at a pressure of at least 101,000 pascals, and preferably at least 202,000 pascals. Atmosphere 318 is preferably formed by continuously flowing Xen9 and Xcm gas into inlet 310 and out of outlet 309 at a flow rate that is greater equal to 3 times the volume of atmosphere 318 per second.
  • the accelerated electrons entering atmosphere 318 interact with target 314, in this case Xei29 and/or Xe atoms to produce final output 315 (also referred to as a secondary emission 315) in the form of polarized neutrons with an energy of 9.5 and 14.4 eV, respectively.
  • the polarized neutrons transmit through windows 316, 324 (both of which are formed from beryllium or aluminum foil or a UV fused quartz glass having a thickness of 0.2mm or more) and atmosphere 319, and are emitted into the atmosphere surrounding tunable source 350.
  • windows 316, 324 both of which are formed from beryllium or aluminum foil or a UV fused quartz glass having a thickness of 0.2mm or more
  • atmosphere 319 and window 324 are omitted, and final output 315 transmits through window 316 directly into the atmosphere surrounding tunable source 350.
  • the coupling structure is coupled to a second containment structure that includes a housing, a third inlet 310, a third outlet 311, and third window 316.
  • the third inlet 310 and third outlet 311 are fluidly coupled to an atmosphere 318 between the second window 322 and the third window 316.
  • the third window 316 may be fabricated from diamond which may optionally be fabricated with a curvature surface to focus an emission, or other material having a low absorption coefficient material, such as beryllium, aluminum, or graphene.
  • atmosphere 317 is or includes a first gas or gas mixture such as Xe or 95/5 ratio mixture of Xe/Ne, and P2 is greater than or equal to about 1000 pascal.
  • primary emission source 301 is an FEA device that produces a primary emission 304 in the form of electrons having an energy of 20 eV or more and an energy density of up to 100 Amp/cm2.
  • the electrons in primary emission 304 transmitted through window 302, which in this case was a graphene film having a thickness of 0.1 nm.
  • the electrons were then accelerated to 100 keV or more by a power grid (not shown) within atmosphere 317.
  • the accelerated electrons transmitted through window 322, which was a beryllium or aluminum foil having a thickness of 0.2 mm or more.
  • the atmosphere 318 included Xe gas isotopes, namely Xei29 and Xem, at a pressure of at least 101,000 pascals, and preferably at least 202,000 pascals.
  • the atmosphere 318 was obtained by continuously flowing Xei29 and Xem gas through inlet 310 and outlet 309 at a flow rate greater than or equal to 3 times the volume of atmosphere 318 per second.
  • atmosphere 319 includes water or another carrier gas containing Csi37, and window 324 is preferably a beryllium or aluminum foil having a thickness of at least 0.2mm.
  • window 324 is preferably a beryllium or aluminum foil having a thickness of at least 0.2mm.
  • the Csm may interact with the final output 315, resulting in the Csm gaining one or more neutrons. Depending on the radiochemical mechanism involved, this may lead to the preferred radioactive decay mechanism proceeds through the absorption of a neutron to produce Cs , which is known to have a very short half-life.
  • the atmosphere 318 may be or include any gas or mixture of gases.
  • suitable gases include monatomic and molecular gases, such as noble rare earth gases or oxygen, nitrogen, or low atomic weight organic and inorganic gases such as methane and ammonia, or combinations thereof and the like.
  • Atmosphere 319 may have a pressure P3 that ranges from 50,000 to 202,000 pascal, such as from 80,000 to 120,000 pascal.
  • the relevant valves 305 may be closed.
  • the atmosphere 318 is maintained by a flow of gas through inlet 310 and outlet 311, wherein the flow rate is selected based on the energy absorption rate of Csl37 conversion to Csl38.
  • the second containment structure is coupled to a third containment structure that includes a housing with a fourth inlet 312, fourth outlet 313, and a fourth window 324.
  • the fourth inlet 312 and fourth outlet 313 are fluidly coupled to an atmosphere 319 between the third window 316 and the fourth window 324.
  • the fourth window 324 may be fabricated from diamond or other material having a low absorption coefficient material, such as beryllium, which may optionally be fabricated with a curvature surface to focus an emission.
  • Atmosphere 319 may be the same gas or mixture of gases as atmosphere 317, preferably Ar.
  • Window 316 may be the same material and thickness as window 324.
  • primary emission source 301 is a field emission array that emits a primary emission 304 in the form of electrons that are accelerated to an energy of 1 keV or more. At least a portion of the primary emission passes through first window 302 (e.g., graphene, carbon nanotubes or other low' z-material such as beryllium or a similar film that can maintain structural integrity with a differential pressure of 1000 pascal or greater), atmosphere 317 and 319 (preferably Ar or Xe at a pressure between 100 to 1000 pascal), and second window 322 (which may be the same material and thickness and pressure as first window 302), and irradiates the gas in atmosphere 318 (e.g., nitrogen).
  • first window 302 e.g., graphene, carbon nanotubes or other low' z-material such as beryllium or a similar film that can maintain structural integrity with a differential pressure of 1000 pascal or greater
  • atmosphere 317 and 319 preferably Ar or Xe at a pressure between 100 to 1000 pascal
  • a preferred pressure of atmosphere 318 is between 101,000 and 303,000 pascals.
  • the length of the chamber is determined and manufactured to optimize high production rate of the desired final output 315 from the containment structure 300.
  • the pressure and temperature of the atmosphere 303, 317, 318, and 319 influences the cross section of the atmosphere to the energy of primary emission source 301.
  • the electrons interacting with the target 314 provoke the emission of K and/or L shell x-rays/photons (as final output 315) that transmit through windows 316 to the environment outside of first containment structure 300.
  • Inlets 306, 308, 310, 312 and outlets 307, 309, 311, and 313 may further be configured to allow an electrical connection between valves 305, temperature sensors, gas flow sensors and pressure sensors one or more power supplies (not shown).
  • the electrical connection may additionally enable transmission and reception of sensor signals from one or more sensors within the first containment structure, optional coupling structure, second containment structure, and/or third containment structure and control signals from a controller (also not shown).
  • at least one sensor is disposed between windows 302, 322 and functions to sense one or more environmental variables (e.g., temperature, pressure, etc.) within atmosphere 317 and transmit sensor signals that include data indicative of an environmental variable within atmosphere 317 to the controller.
  • the controller may issue control instructions that regulate the voltage applied to primary emission source 301, and/or type of gas or mixtures of gases and the pressure of or within atmosphere 303 through either manual or programmatic inputs.
  • FIG. 3 is a cross sectional diagram of another example of a tunable source consistent with the present disclosure, and illustrates how the technologies described herein can be used to provide a modular multi-stage energy production source capable of generating X-rays, VUV and UV photons using electron interactions with a solid foil, or a thin film on a substrate.
  • tunable emission source 450 includes a first containment structure 400 that includes a housing, a first inlet 406, a first outlet 407, and a first window 402.
  • the first window 402 is a graphene film with thickness greater than 2 nm, that is capable of maintaining structural integrity with a differential pressure of 101,000 pascal or greater or a film of another suitable material (e.g., beryllium, carbon nanotubes, etc.) of 0.2mm thickness or more.
  • the first inlet 406 and first outlet 407 are in fluid communication with an atmosphere 403 within the first containment structure.
  • atmosphere 403 has a pressure PI that is less than or equal to about 1000 pascal, which may be achieved by drawing gas out of the first outlet 407.
  • a primary emission source 401 is disposed within atmosphere 403 of the first containment structure 400.
  • the primary emission source 401 is a field emission array that is configured to emit electrons with an energy of 20 eV or more.
  • primary emission source 401 is a cathode discharge tube.
  • the first containment structure 400 is coupled to a coupling structure that includes a second inlet 408, a second outlet 409, and a second window 422.
  • the second window 422 may be graphene, carbon nanotubes or other low z-material such as beryllium or a similar film that can maintain structural integrity with a differential pressure of 1000 pascal or greater.
  • the first window 402 and second window 422 are spaced apart by a relatively short distance, preferably less than 1 m, with an atmosphere 417 there between.
  • the second inlet 408 and second outlet 409 are in fluid communication with atmosphere 417.
  • primary emission source 401 may produce a primary emission 404 in the form of ⁇ 100 eV electrons. Such electrons may be accelerated to an energy of 100 keV or more, e.g., using one or more power grid(s) (not shown) as described above in connection with other embodiments.
  • the power grid(s) may be located upstream or downstream of windows 402 and/or 422. e.g., within atmosphere 403, atmosphere 417, and/or atmosphere 420.
  • any suitable gas or mixture of gases may be used as or in atmosphere 417.
  • suitable gases that may be used in atmosphere 417 include noble gases such as Ar or Xe.
  • Atmosphere 417 may have a pressure P2, wherein in operation P2 is generally less than or equal to 1000 pascal.
  • Gas(es) for atmosphere 417 may be supplied via second inlet 408 and exhausted via second outlet 409. The flow of gas into and out of atmosphere 417 may be regulated with manual or electronically actuatable valves 405 within second inlet 408 and second outlet 409.
  • the coupling structure is coupled to a second containment structure that includes a housing, a third inlet 410, a third outlet 411 and a third window 414.
  • the third window 414 may be may be fabricated from diamond or other low absorption coefficient material such as beryllium or aluminum, and may optionally include a curved surface to focus the emission from tunable emission source 450.
  • the third inlet 410 and third outlet 411 are in fluid communication with the atmosphere 420 within the third containment structure.
  • the atmosphere 420 within the third containment structure may have a pressure P3, which in operation may be less than or equal to 100 pascals. Pressure P3 may be obtained by pulling a vacuum via third outlet 411 while valve 405 in third inlet 410 is closed. Once the desired pressure is obtained, valve 405 in third outlet 411 may be closed.
  • Inlets 406, 408, and 410, and outlets 407, 409, 411 may further be configured to allow an electrical connection between one or more power supplies and one or more valves 405, power grids, temperature sensors, gas flow sensors and/or pressure sensors.
  • the electrical connection may enable transmission and reception of sensor signals from one or more sensors within the first containment structure 400, coupling structure, and second containment structure shown in the embodiment of FIG. 4.
  • the sensors function to sense one or more environmental variables (e.g., pressure, temperature, etc.) within atmospheres 403, 417, and/or 420, and transmit sensor signals that include data indicative of a sensed environmental variable to the controller.
  • the controller may issue control instructions that regulate the voltage applied to primary emission source 401, and/or type of gas or mixtures of gases and the pressure of or within atmosphere 403, atmosphere 417, and/or atmosphere 420 through either manual or programmatic inputs.
  • control instructions that regulate the voltage applied to primary emission source 401, and/or type of gas or mixtures of gases and the pressure of or within atmosphere 403, atmosphere 417, and/or atmosphere 420 through either manual or programmatic inputs.
  • Non-limiting examples of environmental variables that may be monitored include pressure or temperature or combination thereof.
  • a target 418 is disposed within the atmosphere 420 of the second containment structure.
  • the target 418 is configured to interact with electrons in the primary emission 404, and to produce an emission 413, e.g., in the form of low energy X-rays (i.e., X-rays with an energy less than 100 keV).
  • target 418 is in the form of foil of a material or a thin film of material on a substrate, wherein the foil or thin film emits low energy X-rays when irradiated with primary emission 404.
  • Non-limiting examples of suitable materials that may be used as target 418 include foils and thin films of boron nitride, phosphorous containing foils or thin films, metal foil or metal thin films (e.g., of or including Au, Cu, Ni, combinations thereof, etc.) and the like.
  • the target 418 is a single layer foils with a thickness of less than 0.05mm.
  • target 418 includes a substrate and one or more thin films layers of the above noted materials deposited on the substrate, wherein each of said layers has a thickness of 0.05nm or less.
  • target 418 is preferably a boron nitride thin film that has a thickness of 0.05 nm deposited upon an organic polymer film substrate.
  • molecules 412 in the target 418 include boron nitride molecules that can produce an emission 413 in the form of hollow K-shell X-rays.
  • primary emission 404 may include electrons that have an energy (or are accelerated to an energy) between 100 to 2000 eV, preferably to 1000 to 1500 eV and more specifically to about 1300 eV. Such electrons may be substantially matched to the energy of boron nitride molecules within target 418.
  • the probability of an interaction between such electrons and thickness of the boron nitride (BN) foil is relatively high, resulting in absorption of the electrons by molecules of boron nitride and emission of X-rays (e.g., with an energy of 430 eV) that pass through third window 414 into the environment around the third containment structure.
  • the energy of X-rays emitted by the boron nitride foil (i.e., 430 eV) as emission 413 may be substantially matched to the direct energy transfer of a nitrogen K edge of purine-like and pyrimidine-like nucleotides within in a DNA molecule which have been measured at 401 eV and 406 eV, respectively.
  • the target 418 is in the form of a phosphorous (P) of more than 0.05 mm deposited containing foil having a thickness onto a 0.001 mm thick organic polymer substrate, such as a polycarbonate resin (e.g. LEXAN ®) or (preferably) polypropylene.
  • the molecules 412 in target 418 include phosphorous containing molecules, and the energy of electrons within primary emission 404 or which have been accelerated following their emission from primary emission source 401 is preferably less than three times greater than the target emission spectrum of the phosphorous containing molecules.
  • the electrons within primary emission 404 have or have been accelerated to an energy that substantially matches an energy of the phosphorous containing molecules in target 418.
  • the phosphorous containing molecules within target 418 may absorb such electrons and produce an emission 413 in the form of photons having a wavelength of 313 nm (3.96 eV), and which transmit through window 414 to the environment outside of the third containment structure.
  • the 313 nm (3.96 eV) photons in the emission 413 from the phosphorous containing molecules are substantially matched to the narrow band peak emissions (311 nm, 305 nm) that have been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of various skin disorders such as plaque psoriasis, primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, atopic eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, pityriasis rubra pilaris, lichen planus, prurigo nodularis, uremic pruritus and vitiligo.
  • various skin disorders such as plaque psoriasis, primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, atopic eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, pityriasis rubra pilaris, lichen planus, prurigo nodularis, uremic pruritus and vitiligo.
  • FIG. 4 is a cross sectional diagram of another example of a tunable source consistent with the present disclosure, and illustrates how the technologies described herein can be used to provide a modular multi-stage energy production source capable of generating X-rays, VUV and UV photons using electron interactions with a solid layer (metals or thin film).
  • tunable source 550 includes a first containment structure 500 that includes a housing, a first inlet 506, a first outlet 507, and a first window 502.
  • Manual or electronically actuatable valves 505 may be present in first inlet 506 and first outlet 507.
  • the first window 502 may be a 2 nm layered graphene film or other suitable film capable of maintaining structural integrity with a differential pressure of 101,000 pascal or more, such as beryllium, carbon nanotubes, or other low-z materials.
  • the first inlet 506 and second outlet 507 are in fluid communication with an atmosphere 503 within the first containment structure.
  • atmosphere 503 has a pressure PI that preferably is less than or equal to 100 pascals. That pressure may be obtained by pulling a vacuum through first outlet 507 while the valve 505 in first inlet 506 is in the closed position.
  • a primary emission source 501 is disposed within atmosphere 503 of the first containment structure 500.
  • the primary emission source 501 is a field emission array that is configured to emit electrons with an energy of 20 eV or more.
  • primary emission source 501 is a cathode discharge tube.
  • the first containment structure 500 is coupled to a coupling structure that includes a second inlet 508, a second outlet 509, and a second window 522.
  • the second window 522 may be graphene, carbon nanotubes or other low z-material such as beryllium or a similar film that can substantially transmit electrons with an energy greater than or 100 eV.
  • the first window 502 and second window 522 are spaced apart by a relatively short distance, preferably less than 1mm.
  • the second inlet 508 and second outlet 509 are in fluid communication with atmosphere 517 between windows 502, 522.
  • Primary emission source 501 may produce a primary emission 504 in the form of electrons of ⁇ 100 eV electrons, which may be accelerated to an energy of 100 keV or more using one or more power grids a previously described.
  • the power grid(s) may be located within atmosphere 503, atmosphere 517, and/or atmosphere 520
  • Atmosphere 517 may have a pressure P2, wherein P2 is less than 1000 pascals.
  • atmosphere 517 is or includes a low Z noble gas, such as Ar or Xe gas(es) for atmosphere 517, and is preferably Ar gas with a pressure between 1 and 300 pascals.
  • the gas may be supplied via second inlet 508 and exhausted via second outlet 509.
  • the flow of gas into and out of atmosphere 517 may be regulated with manual or electronically actuatable valves 505 within second inlet 508 and second outlet 509.
  • the coupling structure is coupled to a second containment structure that includes a housing, a third inlet 510, a third outlet 511 and a third window 514.
  • the third window 514 may be may be fabricated from quartz, diamond or another material having a low absorption coefficient for photons in emission 513.
  • Third window 514 may optionally include a curved surface to focus the emission 513.
  • the third inlet 510 and third outlet 511 are in fluid communication with the atmosphere 520 within the third containment structure.
  • the atmosphere 520 within the third containment structure may have a pressure P3, which in operation may be less than 1000 pascal.
  • atmosphere 520 is or includes a low Z noble gas, such as Ar or Xe gas(es), and is preferably Ar gas at a pressure between 1 and 100 pascals.
  • the flow of gas into and out of atmosphere 520 may be regulated with manual or electronically actuatable valves 505 within third inlet 510 and third outlet 511. Pressure P3 may be obtained by pulling a vacuum via third outlet 511 while valve 505 in third inlet 510 is closed. Once the desired pressure is obtained, valve 505 in third outlet 511 may be closed.
  • first and second windows 502, 522 may be omitted.
  • the atmosphere 503, 517 and 520 may all be subject to the same vacuum. That is, the atmosphere 503, 517, and 520 may all have a pressure that is less than 100 pascals.
  • a target 518 is disposed within the atmosphere 520 of the third containment structure.
  • the target 518 is configured to interact with electrons in the primary emission 504, and to produce an (secondary) emission 513, e.g., in the form of low energy X-rays (i.e., X-rays with an energy less than 100 keV).
  • target 518 is in the form of solid layer of a material that emits low energy (K-shell) X-rays when irradiated with primary emission 504.
  • K-shell low energy
  • Non-limiting examples of materials that may be used as target 518 include a layer or layers of silicon nitride (S1 3 N 4 ), a layer of a phosphorous containing material, combinations thereof, and the like.
  • target 518 is preferably a S1 3 N 4 layer that has a thickness of 2 mm or more, and which produces an emission 513 when irradiated with primary emission 504.
  • third window 514 is preferably formed from UV fused quartz, beryllium or aluminum foil, or another material that has a low absorption coefficient for the emission 513 produced by STN 4 .
  • target 518 is a layer of a phosphorous containing material that produces an emission 513 when irradiated with primary emission 504.
  • third window 514 is preferably formed from diamond (which has a low absorption coefficient for the emission 513 from a phosphorous containing layer).
  • Inlets 506, 508, and 510, and outlets 507, 509, 511 may further be configured to allow an electrical connection between valves 505 and power grids, temperature sensors, gas flow sensors and pressure sensors one or more power supplies (all not shown).
  • the electrical connection may also enable transmission and reception of signals from one or more sensors within atmosphere 503, atmosphere 517, and/or atmosphere 520 and a controller (also not shown).
  • the sensors function to sense one or more environmental variables (e.g., temperature, pressure, etc.), and transmit sensor signals that include data indicative of a sensed environmental variable to the controller.
  • the controller may issue control instructions that regulate the voltage applied to primary emission source 501, and/or type of gas or mixtures of gases and the pressure of or within atmosphere 503, atmosphere 517, and/or atmosphere 520 through either manual or programmatic inputs.
  • primary emission source 501 is a field emission array that located in atmosphere 503, which is under vacuum and has a pressure of less than 100 pascal.
  • Primary emission source 501 is configured to produce a primary emission 504 in the form of electrons with an energy of 1000 eV or more. At least a portion of the electrons transmit through first and second windows 502, 522 which, in this embodiment, each consist of a 2 nm or more thickness graphene film.
  • the atmosphere 517 includes a low Z gas such as Ar or Xe with a pressure of less than 100 pascal.
  • the atmosphere 520 is under a vacuum and has a pressure of less than 100 pascal.
  • the target 518 is a S13N4 layer with a thickness greater than or equal to 2mm. In another embodiment the target 518 is a phosphorous containing layer with a thickness greater than or equal to 2mm.
  • molecules 512 include S13N4 molecules that may produce an emission 513 in the form of hollow K-shell X-rays with an energy of 414 eV when irradiated with primary emission 504. More particularly, the energy of primary emission 504 (in this case, electrons) is substantially matched to the energy of S13N4 molecules within target 518.
  • the energy primary emission from primary emission source 501 is between 20 - 1000 eV, preferably 420-500 eV.
  • the energy of the electrons that interact with molecules 512 is preferably less than three times greater than the target emission spectrum of the S13N4 (i.e., of the energy of emission 513).
  • third window 514 was formed from quartz or another material (e.g. graphene) with a low absorption coefficient for 414 eV X- rays.
  • third window 514 is a graphene film having a thickness of 0.2 nm or more.
  • the emission 513 from S13N4 target 518 may pass through third window 514 into the environment around the third containment structure.
  • the energy of the X- rays emitted by the S13N4 target 518 (i.e., 414 eV) as emission 513 is substantially matched to the direct energy transfer of a nitrogen K edge purine-like and pyrimidine-like nucleotide within in a DNA molecule, which have been measured at 401 eV and 406 eV, respectively which enables DNA lesion and bond breakage of peptide molecules.
  • the target 518 is in the form of a phosphorous (P) containing material having a thickness of 2 mm or more.
  • the target 518 includes phosphorous containing molecules 512 with an energy that substantially matches the energy of electrons within primary emission 504.
  • the phosphorous containing molecules 512 within target 518 may absorb electrons within primary emission 504 and produce an emission 513 in the form of photons having a wavelength of 313 nm (3.96 eV).
  • third window 514 may be formed from diamond or, UV fused quartz, quartz glass, or another material with a low absorption coefficient for 313 nm (3.96 eV) photons.
  • emission 513 may pass through third window 514 to the environment outside of the third containment structure.
  • the 313 nm (3.96 eV) photons in the emission 513 from the phosphorous containing molecules 512 are substantially matched to the narrow band peak emissions (311 nm (3.9 eV),
  • 305 nm (4.074 eV)) that have been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of various skin disorders such as plaque psoriasis, primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, atopic eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, pityriasis rubra pilaris, lichen planus, prurigo nodularis, uremic pruritus and vitiligo.
  • various skin disorders such as plaque psoriasis, primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, atopic eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, pityriasis rubra pilaris, lichen planus, prurigo nodularis, uremic pruritus and vitiligo.
  • the target 518 includes a tantalum Ta65 layer, the excited tantalum Taes molecules 512 emit Bremsstrahlung emissions.
  • third window 514 may be graphene.
  • the emissions then are coupled to enclosure 110 entering atmosphere 112 and interact with gas 116 consisting of common isotopes of Xenon gas, Xei29 and Xe , at a pressure of between 80,000 to 200,000 pascals to produce emission 117 in the form of polarized neutrons at 9.5 and 14.4 eV kinetic energy.
  • the preferred pressure of atmosphere 112 is 97,216 pascals, and has a neutron peak cross section of 70,000 barns.
  • Neutron-proton interactions are dominated by quadrupole-like components of low lying yrast states which breaks the seniority like structure of the spectrum and thermal (slow) and/or epithermal neutrons are of interest in radiochemical, reprocessing radioactive waste, as well as dose enhancement of various agents, nanoparticles and chemotherapy drug applications.
  • FIG. 5 is a block diagram of example operations of one example of a method of producing a tuned final output consistent with the present disclosure.
  • “tuned final output” means an output with an energy level that substantially matches an energy level of an external target that is to be irradiated with the final output.
  • method 600 begins at block 601. The method then proceeds to block 603, pursuant to which a primary emission with a first energy level El is produced, e.g., in the manner discussed previously in connection with any of FIGS. 1-4. The method then proceeds to block 605, pursuant to which the primary emission is converted to a tuned final emission.
  • the operations of block 605 may include causing at least a portion of the primary emission to interact with a target within a second containment structure, as discussed above. Such may be useful when the primary emission has an energy level El that substantially matches an energy level of the target.
  • conversion of the primary emission to the final output may involve the production of one or more intermediary emissions, e.g., using one or more conversion media.
  • conversion of the primary emission to the final output may involve causing the primary emission to interact with a first conversion media within a first intermediate chamber between the first and second containment structures, wherein interaction with the first conversion media causes the production of a secondary emission with an energy level E2 that substantially matches the energy level of the target.
  • the secondary emission may then interact with the target to produce the final output as described previously.
  • conversion of the primary emission to the final output may involve providing a first intermediate containment structure containing a first conversion media between the first and second containment structures, and providing a second intermediate containment structure containing a second conversion medium between the first containment structure and the first intermediate containment structure.
  • the conversion may involve causing at least a portion of the primary emission to interact with the second conversion medium to produce a secondary emission, causing at least a portion of the secondary emission to interact with the first conversion medium to produce a tertiary emission, and causing at least a portion of the tertiary emission to interact with the target in the second containment structure to produce a final output, as previously described.
  • the method may optionally proceed to block 607, pursuant to which an external target may be exposed to the final output as discussed above. Following the operations of block 607 or if such operations are omitted the method may proceed to block 609, pursuant to which a decision may be made as to whether the method is to continue. If so the method loops back to block 603, but if not the method proceeds to block 611 and ends.
  • the example included a conical/cylindrical containment structure that was manufactured by machining a 2” diameter rod of 6061 stainless steel rod.
  • the containment structure had a depth of 2”, and included a 0.5 inch diameter entrance (first) window at a first end and a 1.75 inch diameter exit (second) at a second (opposing) end.
  • a primary emission source in the form of nine FEDS was fitted into the entrance window and epoxied in place.
  • Each FED was a 3 watt narrow band emission FED mounted to a ceramic substrate, and the nine FEDS were mounted in series and were electrically coupled to a 1000 Hz (500 microsecond ON/Off) pulsed 24V DC, 1A power supply.
  • the exit window was sealed by a 2 inch diameter, 3 m thick JGS-1 glass window that was fixed in place using an epoxy.
  • a gas inlet and gas outlet were fitted, and used to fil the containment structure with 2 atmospheres of pure xenon gas.
  • the primary emission source was energized by the power supply, resulting in the production of 405 nm photons.
  • the secondary was measured using DUV spectrometer.
  • the secondary emission passing through the exit window had a Gaussian peaked power profile with a 10-15 degree diverging beam with an energy density of 15 m.T/cm2 (CIE calibrated luminous color detector) at 1” distance in air.
  • a reference to "A and/or B", when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Nonlinear Science (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Apparatus For Disinfection Or Sterilisation (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne des sources accordables et des procédés d'utilisation de ceux-ci. Selon des modes de réalisation, les sources accordables comprennent une source primaire qui est configurée pour produire une émission primaire sous la forme de photons, d'électrons, d'espèces chimiques ou similaires. La source accordable est configurée pour convertir l'émission primaire en une sortie finale accordée en utilisant une ou plusieurs réactions radio ou photochimiques.
PCT/US2020/065288 2019-12-24 2020-12-16 Source accordable et procédés l'utilisant WO2021133605A1 (fr)

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Citations (4)

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US20100127186A1 (en) * 2003-04-08 2010-05-27 Cymer, Inc. Laser produced plasma EUV light source
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US6576912B2 (en) * 2001-01-03 2003-06-10 Hugo M. Visser Lithographic projection apparatus equipped with extreme ultraviolet window serving simultaneously as vacuum window
US20100127186A1 (en) * 2003-04-08 2010-05-27 Cymer, Inc. Laser produced plasma EUV light source
US20090154642A1 (en) * 2007-12-14 2009-06-18 Cymer, Inc. System managing gas flow between chambers of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photolithography apparatus
US20200368687A1 (en) * 2019-05-22 2020-11-26 America Air Liquide, Inc. Photochemical reactor for isotope separation

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