Microchannel electron multipliers
AssigneeGalileo Electro-Optics Corp.
InventorsJerry R. Horton, G. William Tasker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Microchannel plates (MCPs) and channel electron multipliers (CEMs) having channels etched by a directionally applied flux of reactive particles are disclosed. The channels are activated with thin film dynodes. Various embodiments including monolithic and stacked devices are disclosed. Activation of the channels is achieved by various techniques including CVD, LPD and native growth by oxidation.
Claims37
A microchannel plate comprising a monolithic body in the form of a wafer of etchable material having opposite faces and a plurality of uniform microchannels extending through the wafer from one face to the other, the microchannels with wall surface portions being formed in the wafer by a selectively applied direction specific flux of reactive particles directed against at least one face of the wafer for anisotropically etching the microchannels therein, said microchannels having a major transverse dimension on the order of <10 .mu.m, being closely spaced on the order of <2 .mu.m in pitch and having substantially straight, parallel wall portions for receiving a thin film of thickness on the order of about 10 nm-1000 nm said dimension, pitch and thickness being selected so as to result in an operative device;
- and
- a continuous thin film dynode to provide electron multiplication formed on the wall portions of the microchannels, said dynode formed by at least one of low pressure chemical vapor deposition, liquid phase deposition and by native growth of a film by an oxidizing reaction with a reactive species above ambient temperature.
An electron multiplier comprising at least one monolithic body of etchable material having at least one channel with wall portions formed therein by a selectively applied flux of direction specific reactive particles directed against the body for anisotropically etching at least one channel in the body, said channel having wall portions for receiving a thin film of thickness on the order of about 2 nm-1000 nm;
- and
- a continuous thin film dynode to provide electron multiplication formed on the wall portions of the channel, said dynode formed by at least one of low pressure chemical vapor deposition, liquid phase deposition and by native growth of a film by an oxidizing reaction with a reactive species above ambient temperature.
A monolithic microchannel plate comprising a body of etchable material in the form of a wafer having opposite faces and interconnected microchannel portions having straight walls and being registrably formed in each face of the wafer by a corresponding selectively applied direction specific flux of reactive particles directed against opposite faces of the wafer for anisotropically etching the microchannel portions into the wafer until said microchannel portions connected there within to form continuous microchannels, said microchannels having walls for receiving a thin film of a thickness not more than 1000 nm;
- and continuous thin film dynodes formed on the walls of the microchannels.
A microchannel plate comprising a body in the form of a wafer of etchable material having opposite faces and a plurality of uniform microchannels extending through the wafer from one face to the other, the microchannels with wall surface portions being formed in the wafer by a selectively applied direction specific flux of reactive particles directed against at least one face of the wafer for anisotropically etching the microchannels therein, said microchannels having a major transverse dimension of less than 4 .mu.m and being closely spaced with a pitch of less than 6 .mu.m and having substantially straight, parallel wall portions for receiving a thin film of thickness of about 2 nm-1000 nm said dimension, pitch and thickness being selected so as to result in an operative device;
- and
- a continuous thin film dynode to provide electron multiplication formed on the wall portions of the microchannels.
An electron multiplier comprising a body of etchable material having at least one channel with wall portions formed therein by a selectively applied flux of direction specific reactive particles directed against the body for anisotropically etching said at least one channel in the body, said channel having wall portions for receiving a thin film of thickness not more than 1000 nm;
- and
- a continuous thin film dynode to provide electron multiplication formed on the wall portions of the channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.