Apparatus having cascaded and interbonded microchannel plates and method of making

A cascaded microchannel plate assembly comprising:

• a first microchannel plate and a second microchannel plate which are stacked in physically and electrically contacting cascaded engagement with one another, and means interposing between said microchannel plates for interbonding said first and second microchannel plates to one another to unite said microchannel plates into a unitary structure;
• in which at least one of said first microchannel plate and said second microchannel plate carries a layer of interbonding material disposed toward the other of said first microchannel plate and said second microchannel plate;
• in which said layer of interbonding material covers a peripheral annular portion of said at least one microchannel plate;
• and
• in which said layer of interbonding material is circumferentially interrupted to define sub-areas within said peripheral annular portion of said at least one microchannel plate which are covered with said interbonding material, and alternating sub-areas within said peripheral annular portion of said at least one microchannel plate which are not covered with said interbonding material.

In an image intensifier tube including a photocathode for receiving photons and responsively providing photoelectrons in a pattern replicating said photons, an electron multiplier assembly receiving the photoelectrons and providing a shower of secondary emission electrons in a pattern which replicates said photoelectrons from said photocathode and said photons, and a phosphorescent screen receiving the shower of secondary emission electrons to provide a visible image replicating said photons, said electron multiplier assembly including a cascaded microchannel plate assembly comprising;

• a first microchannel plate and a second microchannel plate which are stacked in physically and electrically contacting cascaded engagement with one another, and means interposing between said microchannel plates for interbonding said first and second microchannel plates to one another to unite said microchannel plates into a unitary structure;
• at least one of said first microchannel plate and said second microchannel plate carrying a layer of interbonding material disposed toward the other of said first microchannel plate and said second microchannel plate;
• and
• in which said layer of interbonding material covers all of a face of said at least one microchannel plate except for a peripheral edge portion thereof.

In a photomultiplier tube including a photocathode for receiving photons and responsively providing photoelectrons in a pattern replicating said photons, an electron multiplier assembly receiving the photoelectrons and providing a shower of secondary emission electrons in a pattern which replicates said photoelectrons from said photocathode and said photons, and an anode electrode receiving the shower of secondary emission electrons to responsively provide an electrical signal, said electron multiplier assembly including a cascaded microchannel plate assembly comprising;

• a first microchannel plate and a second microchannel plate which are stacked in physically and electrically contacting cascaded engagement with one another, and means interposing between said microchannel plates for interbonding said first and second microchannel plates to one another to unite said microchannel plates into a unitary structure;
• at least one of said first microchannel plate and said second microchannel plate carrying a layer of interbonding material disposed toward the other of said first microchannel plate and said second microchannel plate;
• and
• in which said layer of interbonding material covers all of a face of said at least one microchannel plate except for a peripheral edge portion thereof.