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US 8,026,674 B2Granted
Electron source and method for the operation thereof
AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsJan Berk, Josef Deuringer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electron source has an electron emitter with an electron emission cathode, a high voltage unit provided for power supply of the electron emission cathode, and a low voltage unit provided to control the high voltage unit. Data are transmitted non-electrically (in particular optically) between the high voltage unit and the low voltage unit.
Claims13
An electron source comprising:
- an electron emitter comprising an electron emission cathode;
- a high voltage unit connected to the electron emission cathode that supplies power thereto, said high voltage unit comprising a processor therein configured to obtain at least one measurement value pertaining to operation of said election emitter;
- a low voltage unit configured to control operation of the high voltage unit;
- and
- an electrically isolated data transmission path between the high voltage unit and the low voltage unit, said low voltage unit supplying data comprising said control instructions to the high voltage unit via the electrically isolated data transmission path;
- and
- said processor in said high voltage unit being configured to receive said control instructions and to adjust said control instructions dependent on said at least one measurement value to produce a processor output, and to supply said processor output to said electron emitter to control said operation of said electron emitter.
4 more elements
A method for operating an electron source, comprising the steps of:
- supplying an electron emitter with voltage from a high voltage unit to cause an electron emission cathode of said electron emitter to emit electrons;
- controlling operation of said high voltage unit with a low voltage unit according to control signals;
- supplying data representing said control signals from said low voltage unit to said high voltage unit via a non-electrical path between the high voltage unit and the low voltage unit;
- with a processor in said high voltage unit, obtaining at least one measurement value pertaining to operation of said electron emitter;
- and
- in said processor, adjusting said control signals dependent on said at least one measurement value to produce a processor output, and supplying said processor output to said electron emitter to control said operation of said electron emitter.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.