An electron source capable of suppressing consumption of an electron emission material is provide. The present invention provides an electron source including: an electron emission material; and, an electron emission-suppressing material covering a side surface of the electron emission material, wherein a work function of the electron emission-suppressing material is higher than that of the electron emission material, and a thermal emissivity of the electron emission-suppressing material is lower than that of the electron emission material.

An electron source capable of suppressing consumption of an electron emission material is provide. The present invention provides an electron source including: an electron emission material; and, an electron emission-suppressing material covering a side surface of the electron emission material, wherein a work function of the electron emission-suppressing material is higher than that of the electron emission material, and a thermal emissivity of the electron emission-suppressing material is lower than that of the electron emission material.

An electron emission element of the present invention includes a lower electrode, a surface electrode, and a silicone resin layer disposed between the lower electrode and the surface electrode, wherein the surface electrode includes a silver layer, and the silver layer is in contact with the silicone resin layer.

Traveling-wave tube amplifiers for high-frequency signals, including terahertz signals, and methods for making a slow-wave structure for the traveling-wave tube amplifiers are provided. The slow-wave structures include helical conductors that are self-assembled via the release and relaxation of strained films from a sacrificial growth substrate.

An electron source capable of suppressing consumption of an electron emission material is provide. The present invention provides an electron source including: an electron emission material; and, an electron emission-suppressing material covering a side surface of the electron emission material, wherein a work function of the electron emission-suppressing material is higher than that of the electron emission material, and a thermal emissivity of the electron emission-suppressing material is lower than that of the electron emission material.

In some embodiments, a self-aligned electrospray device can include a silicon wafer, a fluid reservoir, and a circuit. The silicon wafer can have a layer of electrically insulating material deposited on a top surface and a deposited layer of electrically conducting material. The silicon wafer and the deposited layers can have through holes. The electrically insulating layer may be undercut. The fluid reservoir can be mounted to a bottom surface of the silicon wafer for containing fluid. The circuit can provide an electric potential difference and be coupled between the layer of electrically conducting material and the fluid reservoir.

An enhanced electron amplifier structure includes a microporous substrate having a front surface and a rear surface, the microporous substrate including at least one channel extending substantially through the substrate between the front surface and the rear surface, an ion diffusion layer formed on a surface of the channel, the ion diffusion layer comprising a metal oxide, a resistive coating layer formed on the first ion diffusion layer, an emissive coating layer formed on the resistive coating layer, and an optional ion feedback layer formed on the front surface of the structure. The emissive coating produces a secondary electron emission responsive to an interaction with a particle received by the channel. The ion diffusion layer, the resistive coating layer, the emissive coating layer, and the ion feedback layer are independently deposited via chemical vapor deposition or atomic layer deposition.

Disclosed embodiments include vacuum electronic devices and methods of fabricating a vacuum electronic device. In a non-limiting embodiment, a vacuum electronic device includes an electrode that defines discrete support structures therein. A first film layer is disposed on the electrode about a periphery of the electrode and on the support structures. A second film layer is disposed on the first film layer. The second film layer includes electrically conductive grid lines patterned therein that are supported by and suspended between the support structures.

Disclosed embodiments include vacuum electronics devices and methods of fabricating a vacuum electronics device. In a non-limiting embodiment, a vacuum electronics device includes: an electrode; a first film layer disposed on the electrode about a periphery of the electrode; and a second film layer disposed on the first film layer, the second film layer including a plurality of electrically conductive grid lines patterned therein that are supported only at the periphery of the electrode by the first film layer.

Image intensifiers may include a photocathode that emits photoelectrons in proportion to the rate photons impact the photocathode. The photoelectrons are multiplied using a microchannel plate that includes a plurality of microchannels. Photoelectrons are scattered by the microchannel plate when the photoelectrons strike the surface of the microchannel plate rather than enter one of the microchannels. Electron scatter within an image intensifier results in a halo or bloom around bright or luminous objects. Halo or bloom may be minimized by reducing the electron scatter within the image intensifier. Deposition of an anti-scattering layer on the surface of the microchannel plate within the image intensifier can absorb photoelectrons that fail to enter a microchannel and may thus reduce the incidence of halo or bloom.