Night vision having an image intensifier tube, improved transmission mode photocathode for such a device, and method of making

• US 5,962,843 A
• Filed: 07/17/1997
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Litton Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Estrera, Joseph Paul, Sinor, Timothy Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, STEPHONE B
• Application Number:
  US08/895,917
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 250/207, 250/214 VT, 313/103 CM, 313/105 CM, 313/524-528, 313/532, 437/5
• US Class Current: 250/214.0VT
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 1/34 Photo-emissive cathodes H01J1/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2201/3423 Semiconductors, e.g. GaAs, NEA emitters
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 29/38 not using charge storage, e.g. photo-emissive screen, extended cathode electrodes using photo-emission in general H01J1/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 31/506 tubes using secondary emission effect

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.

Claims

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%.

2. The photocathode of claim 1 in which the percentage of indium in the active layer in comparison to the total of indium and gallium together in the active layer is in the range from about 11% to about 14%.

3. The photocathode of claim 1 in which the percentage of indium in the active layer in comparison to the total of indium and gallium together in the active layer is in the range from about 12% to about 13%.

4. The photocathode of claim 1 in which one of the window layer and active layer includes a P-type dopant.

5. The photocathode of claim 1 in which said P-type dopant is present in said one layer at a concentration substantially in the range from about 1×

10¹⁹ to about 9×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

6. The photocathode of claim 1 in which said window layer comprises aluminum gallium arsenide material.

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:

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%.

8. The photocathode of claim 7 wherein said active layer further defines an electron-emitting surface, said electron-emitting surface including a surface layer portion including both cesium and oxygen deposited onto said InGaAs active layer.

9. A device having body defining a vacuum envelope and including a photocathode according to claim 7, said device further providing an output in response to a flux of infrared light.

10. A method of making a photocathode which is responsive to photons of infrared light to emit photoelectrons, said method comprising the steps of:

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.

11. The method of making a photocathode according to claim 10 further including the step of providing in one of the window layer and the active layer a P-type dopant.

12. The method of claim 11 further including the step of providing said P-type dopant in said one layer at a concentration in the range from about 1×

10¹⁹ to about 9×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

13. The method of claim 10 further including the step of including aluminum gallium arsenide material in said window layer.

14. A photocathode manufacturing intermediate article comprising:

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%.

15. The photocathode manufacturing intermediate article of claim 14 further including a window layer carried by said active layer.

16. The photocathode manufacturing intermediate article of claim 15 further including an environmentally protective cap layer carried by said window layer.

17. The photocathode manufacturing intermediate article of claim 14 in which the percentage of indium in the active layer in comparison to the total of indium and gallium together in the active layer is in the range from about 11% to about 14%.

18. The photocathode manufacturing intermediate article of claim 14 in which the percentage of indium in the active layer in comparison to the total of indium and gallium together in the active layer is in the range from about 12% to about 13%.

19. The photocathode manufacturing intermediate article of claim 14 in which one of said window layer and said active layer includes a P-type dopant.

20. The photocathode manufacturing intermediate article of claim 19 in which said P-type dopant is present in said one layer at a concentration substantially in the range from about 1×

10¹⁹ to about 9×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

21. The photocathode manufacturing intermediate article of claim 15 in which said window layer comprises aluminum gallium arsenide material.

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:

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%.

23. The night vision device of claim 22 in which the percentage of indium in the active layer in comparison to the total of indium and gallium together in the active layer is in the range from about 11% to about 14%.

24. The night vision device of claim 23 in which the percentage of indium in the active layer in comparison to the total of indium and gallium together in the active layer is in the range from about 12% to about 13%.

25. The night vision device of claim 23 in which one of the window layer and active layer includes a P-type dopant.

26. The night vision device of claim 23 in which said P-type dopant is present in said one layer at a concentration substantially in the range from about 1×

10¹⁹ to about 9×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

27. The night vision device of claim 23 in which said window layer comprises aluminum gallium arsenide material.

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:

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%.

29. The image intensifier tube of claim 28 in which said window layer comprises aluminum gallium arsenide material.

30. The image intensifier tube of claim 29 in which said active layer comprises InGaAs material in which the percentage of indium compared to the total of indium and gallium together in the active layer is substantially 12.55%.