Electron source and image forming apparatus as well as method of providing the same with means for maintaining activated state thereof
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTatsuya Iwasaki, Toshikazu Ohnishi
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Abstract
An electron source comprises one or more electron-emitting devices, especially of surface conduction type, and is provided with means for supplying an activating substance to device(s). The means comprises preferably a substance source and a heater or electron beam generator for gasifying the substance source. The electron source can be combined with an image-forming member (e.g. fluorecent body) to constitute an image-forming apparatus. The means is used for in situ activation or re-activation of the electron-emitting device(s).
Claims3
A method for fabricating an image forming apparatus having in a container an electron source provided with a plurality of electron-emitting devices and an image-forming member for forming an image upon irradiation of electron beams from the electron source, the plurality of electron-emitting devices being wired in matrix form by a plurality of wirings in a row direction and a plurality of wirings in a column direction, the method comprising the steps of:
- disposing in the container the electron source provided with the plurality of electron-emitting devices, and the image-forming member for forming the image upon irradiation of electron beams, the plurality of electron-emitting devices being wired in matrix form by the plurality of wirings in the row direction and the plurality of wirings in the column direction;
- and
- performing a plurality of getter processes in the container plural times,
- wherein the plurality of getter processes include a first getter process which is performed immediately after sealing the container and a second getter process which is performed after driving the electron-emitting devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.