Cathode device with improved electron emitter contacting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12451318-B2
Application number	US-202519039935-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2025
Priority date	Jan 31, 2024
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

One or more example embodiments relates to a cathode device and an X-ray source. The cathode device for an X-ray source has an electron emitter including a plurality of field effect emitter elements aligned in parallel to form an emission surface on the upper side of the plurality of field effect emitter elements aligned in parallel a gate electrode, arranged above the emission surface, a multiple first contact elements for at least two independently current-carrying current paths of the electron emitter, electrons from at least one of the current paths are emittable depending on an emission voltage between the gate electrode and the emission surface via the field effect emitter elements; and an emitter seat including multiple second contact elements, the multiple second contact elements connectable with the multiple first contact elements for closing the current paths.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cathode device for an X-ray source, the cathode device comprising:
an electron emitter including,
a plurality of field effect emitter elements aligned in parallel to form an emission surface on an upper side of the plurality of field effect emitter elements aligned in parallel,
a gate electrode, arranged above the emission surface,
a multiple first contact elements for at least two independently current-carrying current paths of the electron emitter, electrons from at least one of the current paths are emittable depending on an emission voltage between the gate electrode and the emission surface via the field effect emitter elements; and

an emitter seat including multiple second contact elements, the multiple second contact elements connectable with the multiple first contact elements for closing the current paths, wherein the multiple first contact elements are on a side of the plurality of field effect emitter elements aligned in parallel facing away from the emission surface.

2. The cathode device of claim 1 , wherein the multiple first contact elements are exclusively on the side facing away from the emission surface.

3. The cathode device of claim 1 , wherein the side facing away from the emission surface is a lower side of the plurality of field effect emitter elements aligned in parallel opposite the emission surface and facing the emitter seat.

4. The cathode device of claim 1 , wherein the first contact elements are exclusively in a first plane.

5. The cathode device of claim 4 , wherein the multiple second contact elements are exclusively in a second plane.

6. The cathode device of claim 5 , wherein the first plane and the second plane are parallel.

7. The cathode device of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the multiple second contact elements or the multiple first contact elements are movable for a connection between the multiple second contact elements and the multiple first contact elements.

8. The cathode device of claim 7 , wherein the movement is achieved via an elastic connecting element.

9. The cathode device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one elastic connecting element includes a mechanical force transmitter.

10. The cathode device of claim 9 , wherein the mechanical force transmitter is a press-fitted pin or a spring pin.

11. The cathode device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the multiple second contact elements or the multiple first contact elements are movable for a connection between the multiple second contact elements and the multiple first contact elements.

12. The cathode device of claim 11 , wherein the movement is achieved via an elastic connecting element.

13. The cathode device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one elastic connecting element includes a mechanical force transmitter.

14. The cathode device of claim 13 , wherein the mechanical force transmitter is a press-fitted pin or a spring pin.

15. The cathode device of claim 1 , wherein the multiple second contact elements are only connected to the multiple first contact elements via force-fitting or form-fitting.

16. The cathode device of claim 1 , wherein the multiple first contact elements are arranged according to a ball grid array.

17. The cathode device of claim 1 , wherein a further current path of the at least two current paths carrying current independently of each other has the gate electrode and one of the multiple second contact elements.

18. The cathode device of claim 1 , wherein a contact surface of one of the multiple first contact elements and a contact surface of one of the multiple second contact elements have a different surface area.

19. An X-ray source, comprising:
the cathode device of claim 1 ;
an anode; and
an evacuated housing, wherein the cathode device and the anode are within the evacuated housing.

Assignees

• Siemens Healthineers Ag

Inventors

• Wimmer Michael
• Freudenberger Joerg
• Fritzler Anja
• Jud Christoph
• Geithner Peter

Classifications

• H01J2235/068

  Multi-cathode assembly · CPC title

• H01J2235/062

  Cold cathodes · CPC title

• H01J2235/02

  Electrical arrangements · CPC title

• H01J35/24

  Tubes wherein the point of impact of the cathode ray on the anode or anticathode is movable relative to the surface thereof · CPC title

• H01J35/064

  Details of the emitter, e.g. material or structure (H01J35/065 takes precedence) · CPC title