Integrated native oxide device based on aluminum, aluminum alloys or beryllium copper (INOD) and discrete dynode electron multiplier (DDEM)

Abstract

Techniques produce integrated native metal oxide discrete elements which can be used to fabricate discrete dynode electron multiplier (DDEM) devices, for example by creating dynodes with a native oxide as secondary electron emissive (SEE) layer from a metal block. The metal block may comprise or consist of a metal base component, for example Al, Al alloys or BeCu, of metal oxide SEE materials Al2O3 or BeO. Growing a native oxide from these base metals, Al2O3 or BeO eliminates the need of a costly and time-consuming SEE coating on the dynode surface. Furthermore, aluminum alloys offer intrinsic dopant, in particular magnesium where its oxide provides a higher secondary electron yield than the aluminum oxide. The use of aluminum, its alloys or BeCu material block allows flexibility in design and fabrication of DDEM without an SEE coating process.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.