Cathode heater assembly and method of manufacture

A cathode heater assembly, comprising:

• a nano-scandate tungsten (NST) cathode made of a high temperature sintered matrix of NST powder including micron-sized tungsten particles and nano-sized scandium oxide of 10% to 50% porosity, and impregnated with barium-calcium-aluminate impregnant to form a composite material emitter;
• and
• a heater wire having a cross section configured to dissipate power to heat the NST cathode to cause the NST cathode to emit electrons, the heater wire being attached directly to the NST cathode through at least one of laser welding or electron beam welding.

A cathode heater assembly, comprising:

• a nano-scandate tungsten (NST) cathode made of a high temperature sintered matrix of NST powder including micron-sized tungsten particles and nano-sized scandium oxide of 10% to 50% porosity, and impregnated with barium-calcium-aluminate impregnant to form a composite material emitter;
• and
• a heater wire having a cross section configured to dissipate power to heat the NST cathode to cause the NST cathode to emit electrons, the heater wire being attached to the NST cathode through mechanical clamping with the heater wire wrapped in a spiral directly around the NST cathode.