Photoelectron multiplying and collecting tube and imaging device using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12176174-B2
Application number	US-202017619686-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2020
Priority date	Jun 26, 2019
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

An electron tube includes a housing that is internally held in a vacuum and has a window transmitting an electromagnetic wave, an electron emitting unit that is disposed in the housing and has a meta-surface emitting electrons in response to incidence of the electromagnetic wave, an electron multiplying unit that is disposed in the housing and multiplies the electrons emitted from the electron emitting unit, and an electron collecting unit that is disposed in the housing and collects the electrons multiplied by the electron multiplying unit. The window contains at least one selected from quartz, silicon, germanium, sapphire, zinc selenide, zinc sulfide, magnesium fluoride, lithium fluoride, barium fluoride, calcium fluoride, magnesium oxide, and calcium carbonate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electron tube comprising:
a housing internally held in a vacuum and including a window configured to transmit an electromagnetic wave;
an electron emitting unit disposed in the housing and including a meta-surface configured to emit an electron in response to incidence of the electromagnetic wave;
an electron multiplying unit disposed in the housing and configured to multiply the electron emitted from the electron emitting unit; and
an electron collecting unit disposed in the housing and configured to collect electrons multiplied by the electron multiplying unit, wherein
the meta-surface includes a metal layer forming a plurality of antennas,
the plurality of antennas has a size depending on the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave, and
the window includes at least one selected from quartz, silicon, germanium, sapphire, zinc selenide, zinc sulfide, magnesium fluoride, lithium fluoride, barium fluoride, calcium fluoride, magnesium oxide, and calcium carbonate.

2. The electron tube according to claim 1 , wherein
the electron emitting unit includes a substrate including a first principal surface provided with the meta-surface and a second principal surface opposite to the first principal surface,
the electron multiplying unit includes an incidence surface on which the electron emitted from the electron emitting unit is incident, and
the substrate has transparency for the electromagnetic wave passing through the window and is disposed in such a manner that the first principal surface faces the incidence surface of the electron multiplying unit and the second principal surface faces the window.

3. The electron tube according to claim 1 , wherein
the electron multiplying unit includes an incidence surface on which the electron emitted from the electron emitting unit is incident, and
the meta-surface is provided on the window to face the incidence surface of the electron multiplying unit.

4. The electron tube according to claim 1 , wherein
the electron emitting unit includes a substrate including a first principal surface provided with the meta-surface and a second principal surface opposite to the first principal surface,
the electron multiplying unit includes an incidence surface on which the electron emitted from the electron emitting unit is incident, and
the substrate is disposed in such a manner that the first principal surface faces the window and the incidence surface of the electron multiplying unit.

5. The electron tube according to claim 1 , wherein the meta-surface is included in a patterned metal layer.

6. The electron tube according to claim 1 , wherein the electron multiplying unit and the electron collecting unit are a diode and are integrally configured.

7. The electron tube according to claim 1 , wherein
the electron multiplying unit includes a plurality of dynodes spaced away from each other, and
the electron collecting unit includes an anode or a diode arranged to collect the electrons multiplied by the electron multiplying unit.

8. The electron tube according to claim 1 , wherein
the electron multiplying unit includes a microchannel plate, and
the electron collecting unit includes an anode or a diode arranged to collect the electrons multiplied by the electron multiplying unit.

9. The electron tube according to claim 1 , wherein
the electron multiplying unit includes a microchannel plate, and
the electron collecting unit includes a fluorescent body arranged to receive the electrons multiplied by the electron multiplying unit and emit light.

10. An imaging device comprising:
the electron tube according to claim 9 ; and
an imaging unit configured to capture an image based on light from the fluorescent body.

Assignees

• Hamamatsu Photonics Kk

Inventors

• Fujita Tetsuya
• Suzuki Takahiro
• Miyazaki Yasuhide
• Kawai Naoya
• Jepsen Peter Uhd
• Lange Simon Lehnskov

Classifications

• H01J29/867

  Means associated with the outside of the vessel for shielding, e.g. magnetic shields (screens for shielding inside the vessel H01J29/06; magnetic shielding in general H05K9/00) · CPC title

• H01J29/865

  Vacuum locks · CPC title

• H01J2231/5016

  Michrochannel plates [MCP] · CPC title

• H01J2231/50026

  Infrared · CPC title

• H01J2231/5001

  Photons · CPC title