An X-ray tube has a housing enclosing a vacuum chamber. There is a primary field-emission cathode within the vacuum chamber, a secondary cathode within the vacuum chamber, spaced apart from the primary cathode, and an anode target within the vacuum chamber.

The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a carbon nanotube electron emitter, including: forming a carbon nanotube film; performing densification by dipping the carbon nanotube film in a solvent; cutting an area of the carbon nanotube film into a pointed shape or a line shape; and fixing the cutting area of the carbon nanotube film arranged between at least two metal members to face upwards with lateral pressure.

Disclosed is a field emission apparatus. The apparatus comprises a cathode electrode and an anode electrode spaced apart from each other, an emitter on the cathode electrode, a gate electrode between the cathode and anode electrodes and including at least one gate aperture overlapping the emitter, and an electron transmissive sheet on the gate electrode and including a plurality of fine openings overlapping the gate aperture.

The present disclosure relates to an X-ray source apparatus and a control method of the X-ray source apparatus in which a cathode electrode and a gate electrode are arranged in an array form to enable matrix control, and, thus, it is possible to irradiate X-rays at an optimum dose for each position on the subject. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the irradiation of more X-rays than are needed to the subject. Also, it is possible to obtain a high-resolution and high-quality X-ray image. As such, two-dimensional matrix control makes it easy to control the dose of X-rays and makes it possible to uniformly irradiate X-rays to the subject. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a high-resolution surface X-ray source with less dependence on the size of the focus of electron beams.

Emitter (3) and target (7) are arranged so as to face each other in vacuum chamber (1), and guard electrode (5) is provided at outer circumferential side of electron generating portion (31) of emitter (3). Emitter (3) is supported movably in both end directions of vacuum chamber (1) by emitter supporting unit (4) having movable body (40). To perform regeneration process of guard electrode (5), emitter is moved to no-discharge position by operating emitter supporting unit, and state in which field emission of electron generating portion (31) is suppressed is set, then by applying voltage across guard electrode (5), discharge is repeated. After regeneration process, by operating emitter supporting unit again, emitter is moved to discharge position, and state in which field emission of electron generating portion (31) is possible is set with movement of movable body (40) toward the other and side being restrained by movement restraining unit (6).

Opening edge surface (45a) of an emitter supporting unit female screw bore (45) provided at an emitter supporting unit (4) extends along radial direction of the emitter supporting unit female screw bore (45). An emitter supporting unit operation hole (32) provided at a flange portion (30a) of a vacuum enclosure (11) has shape into which one selected from a position adjustment shaft (6) and a pressing shaft (9) can be inserted from their shaft tip sides. The position adjustment shaft is provided, on an outer circumferential surface of its tip (61), with a tip side male screw portion (61a) that can be screwed into the emitter supporting unit female screw bore (45). The pressing shaft has, at its tip (91), a tip surface (91a) having a larger diameter than an opening diameter of the emitter supporting unit female screw bore (45) and extending along radial direction of the pressing shaft.

A robust cold cathode uses an electron emitting construct design possibly for an x-ray emitter device. The electron beam emitted by the emitting construct is focused and accelerated by an electrical field towards an electron anode target. A shield is provided to prevent a cold cathode from being damaged by ion bombardment in high-voltage applications and a non-emitter zone may provide a robust ion bombardment zone. The system is further configured to provide an angled target anode or a stepped target anode to further reduce the ion bombardment damage.

Emitter (3) and target (7) are arranged so as to face each other in vacuum chamber (1), and guard electrode (5) is provided at outer circumferential side of electron generating portion (31) of emitter (3). Emitter (3) is supported movably in both end directions of vacuum chamber (1) by emitter supporting unit (4) having movable body (40). To perform regeneration process of guard electrode (5), emitter is moved to no-discharge position by operating emitter supporting unit, and state in which field emission of electron generating portion (31) is suppressed is set, then by applying voltage across guard electrode (5), discharge is repeated. After regeneration process, by operating emitter supporting unit again, emitter is moved to discharge position, and state in which field emission of electron generating portion (31) is possible is set with movement of movable body (40) toward the other end side being restrained by movement restraining unit (6).

System and method for imaging an integrated circuit (IC). The imaging system comprises an x-ray source including a plurality of spatially and temporally addressable electron sources, an x-ray detector arranged such that incident x-rays are oriented normal to an incident surface of the x-ray detector and a three-axis stage arranged between the x-ray source and the x-ray detector, the three-axis stage configured to have mounted thereon an integrated circuit through which x-rays generated by the x-ray source pass during operation of the imaging system. The imaging system further comprises at least one controller configured to move the three-axis stage during operation of the imaging system and selectively activate a subset of the electron sources during movement of the three-axis stage to acquire a set of intensity data by the x-ray detector as the three-axis stage moves along a three-dimensional trajectory.

An optical assembly for use in an X-ray inspection system. The optical assembly has a light source, a photocathode positioned such that it is in a path of light emitted by the light source, and at least two dynodes. One of the dynodes is positioned to receive electrons emitted by the photocathode and the other dynode is positioned to receive electrons emitted by the first dynode. The light source is preferably one of an LED light source or a LASER light source.