Night vision having an image intensifier tube, improved transmission mode photocathode for such a device, and method of making
First Claim
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1. A photocathode for receiving photons of light and responsively emitting photoelectrons and being optimized for a quantum response level to light having a wavelength of substantially 980 nm, the photocathode comprising:
- a face plate;
a window layer;
an active layer of indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) in which the percentage of indium compared to the total of indium and gallium together in the active layer is in the range from about 9.5% to about 15%.
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Abstract
A night vision device includes an image intensifier tube, which includes a photocathode responsive both to white light and to infrared light to release photoelectrons. The photocathode is particularly sensitive to infrared light at the 980 nm wavelength, and has desirable spectral response characteristics.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A photocathode for receiving photons of light and responsively emitting photoelectrons and being optimized for a quantum response level to light having a wavelength of substantially 980 nm, the photocathode comprising:
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a face plate; a window layer; an active layer of indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) in which the percentage of indium compared to the total of indium and gallium together in the active layer is in the range from about 9.5% to about 15%. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A photocathode for receiving photons of light and responsively emitting photoelectrons while being optimized for a desirably high level of quantum response to light having a wavelength of substantially 980 nm, the photocathode comprising:
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a face plate; a window layer of aluminum gallium arsenide on said face plate; an active layer of indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) in which the percentage of indium compared to the total of indium and gallium together in the active layer is substantially 12.55%. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A method of making a photocathode which is responsive to photons of infrared light to emit photoelectrons, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a face plate; providing a window layer on said face plate; attaching an active layer of indium gallium arsenide on said window layer; and providing said active layer with a percentage of indium of substantially 12 to 13 percent in comparison to the total of indium and gallium in said active layer. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A photocathode manufacturing intermediate article comprising:
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a substrate layer; a stop layer on said substrate layer; an active layer carried by said substrate layer, said active layer including indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) material responsive to photons of light in a certain wavelength band to release photoelectrons;
in which the percentage of indium compared to the total of indium gallium together in the InGaAs material of said active layer is in the range from about 9.5% to about 15%. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A night vision device having an objective lens, an image intensifier tubes and an eyepiece lens, the image intensifier tube having a photocathode especially responsive to light of substantially 980 nm wavelength, said photocathode comprising:
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a face plate; a window layer; an active layer of indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) in which the percentage of indium compared to the total of indium and gallium together in the active layer is in the range from about 9.5% to about 15%. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An image intensifier tube having a body with transparent face plate and image output window portions, a photocathode disposed behind the face plate window portion, said photocathode liberating photoelectrons in response to photons of light, a microchannel plate receiving the photoelectrons and responsively providing a shower of secondary emission electrons, and an output electrode receiving the shower of secondary emission electrons to provide an output image via said output window, said photocathode being especially responsive to light of substantially 980 nm, and said photocathode comprising:
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a window layer carried by the face plate of the image intensifier tube; an active layer of indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), in which the percentage of indium compared to the total of indium and gallium together in the active layer is in the range from about 9.5% to about 15%. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification