Cylindrical electron beam generating/triggering device and method for generation of electrons
First Claim
1. Electron beam generating device, comprising:
- a cylinder-shaped member formed of a dielectric material having a dielectric constant ε
>
100, said cylinder-shaped member having an external surface and a central opening formed therethrough defining an internal surface thereof, said central opening extending longitudinally along the symmetrical axis of said cylinder-shaped member;
an internal electrode electrically coupled to said cylinder-shaped member at said internal surface thereof;
an external electrode electrically coupled to said cylinder-shaped member at said external surface thereof;
triggering source means for triggering a pulse, said triggering source means coupled between said internal and external electrodes;
a cathode member electrically coupled to said external electrode, said cathode member having sidewalls and a bottom section, the sidewalls of said cathode member being in surrounding relationship with at least a portion of said external surface of said cylinder-shaped member, said bottom section of said cathode member having a central bore opening formed therein and disposed in alignment with said central opening of said cylinder-shaped member; and
an anode member disposed remotely from said central bore opening along said symmetrical axis of said cylinder-shaped member, wherein, upon application of said pulse between said internal and external electrodes, a sliding surface discharge is created along said internal surface of said cylinder-shaped member to produce electrons, said electrons being concentrated at said symmetrical axis of said cylinder-shaped member, and wherein an electrical field between said cathode and anode members accelerates said concentrated electrons to a high energy, thus forming a high-energy electron beam, and extracts said high energy electron beam through said central bore opening of said cathode member towards said anode member.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surface discharge device performing functions of a trigger and electron beam generator includes a cylinder shaped member formed from a dielectric material with dielectric constant ε>100, in which a central opening is formed having a conical or cylindrical shape. An internal electrode is electrically coupled to the internal surface of the cylinder shaped member. An external electrode covers the external surface of the cylinder shaped member. A triggering pulse is applied between the external and internal electrodes to generate emission of electrons in the central opening and formation of the conducting plasma to ignite the device and serve as a source of electrons for generating an electron beam. The conducting plasma charges a capacitor formed by the cylinder shaped dielectric member and the external electrode. The cylinder shaped member is positioned in a hollow cathode having a central bore hole in the bottom. An anode is positioned remotely from the cathode and an electric field exists dynamically in space between the cathode and anode for at least a portion of the duration of the triggering pulse.
230 Citations
29 Claims
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1. Electron beam generating device, comprising:
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a cylinder-shaped member formed of a dielectric material having a dielectric constant ε
>
100, said cylinder-shaped member having an external surface and a central opening formed therethrough defining an internal surface thereof, said central opening extending longitudinally along the symmetrical axis of said cylinder-shaped member;an internal electrode electrically coupled to said cylinder-shaped member at said internal surface thereof; an external electrode electrically coupled to said cylinder-shaped member at said external surface thereof; triggering source means for triggering a pulse, said triggering source means coupled between said internal and external electrodes; a cathode member electrically coupled to said external electrode, said cathode member having sidewalls and a bottom section, the sidewalls of said cathode member being in surrounding relationship with at least a portion of said external surface of said cylinder-shaped member, said bottom section of said cathode member having a central bore opening formed therein and disposed in alignment with said central opening of said cylinder-shaped member; and an anode member disposed remotely from said central bore opening along said symmetrical axis of said cylinder-shaped member, wherein, upon application of said pulse between said internal and external electrodes, a sliding surface discharge is created along said internal surface of said cylinder-shaped member to produce electrons, said electrons being concentrated at said symmetrical axis of said cylinder-shaped member, and wherein an electrical field between said cathode and anode members accelerates said concentrated electrons to a high energy, thus forming a high-energy electron beam, and extracts said high energy electron beam through said central bore opening of said cathode member towards said anode member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for generating an electron beam, comprising the steps of:
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forming a central opening in a cylinder-shaped member formed from a dielectric material having a dielectric constant ε
>
100, said central opening extending longitudinally of said cylinder-shaped member along the axis of symmetry thereof;connecting an internal electrode to an internal surface of said cylinder-shaped member, said internal surface being defined by said central opening; connecting an external electrode to an external surface of said cylinder-shaped member; positioning said cylinder-shaped member in proximity to a cathode member having sidewalls and a bottom, said sidewalls of said cathode member being in surrounding relationship with at least a portion of said external surface of said cylinder-shaped member, said central opening of said cylinder-shaped member being substantially aligned with a central bore opening formed in said bottom of said cathode member; electrically coupling said cathode member to said external electrode; positioning an anode member remotely from said cathode member; applying a triggering pulse between said internal and external electrodes to create electrons emission from said internal surface of said cylinder-shaped member and to form conducting plasma in said central opening thereof expanding along said central opening until a capacitor formed by said cylinder-shaped member and said external electrode has been substantially fully charged; and applying a voltage to said anode member to create a voltage difference between said cathode and anode members for at least a portion of a duration of said triggering pulse to accelerate the electrons of said conducting plasma in said central opening of said cylinder-shaped member and to extract said electrons from said plasma through said central bore opening towards said anode member in the form of a electron beam. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A trigger in an electron generating device, the trigger comprising:
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a cylinder-shaped member made of a dielectric material, said cylinder-shaped member having an external surface and a central opening formed in said cylinder-shaped member, said central opening extending longitudinally along the symmetry axis of said cylinder-shaped members and defining an internal surface thereof; an internal electrode electrically coupled to said cylinder-shaped member at said internal surface thereof; an external electrode electrically coupled to said cylinder-shaped member at said external surface thereof; and a source of a triggering pulse coupled between said internal and external electrodes, wherein, upon application of said triggering pulse between said internal and external electrodes, an electric field in vicinity of said internal electrode creates electrons emission from said internal surface of said cylinder-shaped member and formation of conducting plasma filling said central opening thereof, thus igniting the electron generating device to produce a beam of high-energy electrons, wherein said conducting plasma expands along said internal surface until a capacitor formed by said cylinder-shaped member and said external electrode is substantially fully charged. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of triggering generation of electrons in an electrons generating device, comprising the steps of:
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forming a central opening in a cylinder-shaped member made from a dielectric material having a dielectric constant ε
>
100, said central opening extending longitudinally said cylinder-shaped member along the axis of symmetry thereof;connecting an internal electrode to an internal surface of said cylinder-shaped member, said internal surface being defined by said central opening; connecting an external electrode to an external surface of said cylinder-shaped member; and applying a triggering pulse between said internal and external electrodes to create emission of electrons from said internal surface of said cylinder-shaped member and to form conducting plasma in said central opening thereof, thus igniting the electrons generating device, wherein said emitted electrons are concentrated at said axis of symmetry of said cylinder-shaped member, and wherein an electrical field applied to said conducting plasma accelerates said concentrated electrons to a high energy, thus producing a high-energy electron beam. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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Specification