Electron-beam heating apparatus and heating method thereof

An electron-beam heating apparatus comprising:

• a heating unit having two electrodes comprising a cathode and an anode, a heating of a material being performed by using an electron-beam generated by glow discharge in a space between said two electrodes;
• an electric power source supplying an electric current to said electrodes so as to generate said glow discharge in a space between said two electrodes;
• and
• a current controlling circuit for controlling said current flowing to said cathode so as to control a discharge in a space between said two electrodes,
• wherein said current controlling circuit comprises a limiting circuit for limiting an increase of said current flowing to said cathode by means of a positive feedback control when said limiting circuit detects a negative resistance-characteristic in a relationship between a discharge voltage and a discharge current.

A method for heating a material by using an electron-beam generated by a glow discharge in a space between a cathode and an anode of a heating unit, the method comprising steps of:

• supplying an electric current from an electric power source to said cathode so as to generate said glow discharge;
• controlling said current generating said glow discharge so that said current is pulsed and intermittently supplied to said cathode so as to control said discharge;
• and
• radiating an electron-beam generated by said glow discharge.