Method Of Fabricating Microchannel Plate Devices With Multiple Emissive Layers

A method of fabricating a single channel electron multiplier, the method comprising:

• a. defining a single channel extending from a top surface of a substrate to a bottom surface of the substrate, the single channel having a resistive material on an outer surface that forms a first emissive layer;
• b. depositing a second emissive layer over the first emissive layer, the second emissive layer being chosen to achieve at least one of an increase in secondary electron emission efficiency and a decrease in gain degradation as a function of time;
• c. forming a top electrode on the top surface of the substrate;
• and
• d. forming a bottom electrode on the bottom surface of the substrate.

A method of fabricating a microchannel plate, the method comprising:

• a. drawing a plurality of solid glass fibers, each of the plurality of solid glass fibers comprising a core glass fiber, which is soluble in an etchant, and lead glass cladding that surrounds the core glass fiber, which is not soluble in the etchant;
• b. packing the plurality of glass fibers in an array;
• c. drawing the packed glass fibers;
• d. fusing the drawn packed glass fibers within a glass envelope, thereby forming a boule of packed glass fibers;
• e. slicing the boule of packed glass fibers, thereby forming a plate of packed glass fibers;
• f. exposing the core glass to the etchant, thereby removing the core glass so that the lead cladding defines a plurality of pores through the plate of packed glass fibers;
• g. reducing the lead glass cladding at the surfaces of the plurality of pores in a hydrogen atmosphere to semiconducting lead, thereby forming a first emissive layer at the surfaces of the plurality of pores;
• and
• h. depositing a second emissive layer over the first emissive layer, the second emissive layer being chosen to increase a secondary electron emission efficiency of the microchannel plate.