A thermionic cathode, an electron emission apparatus, and a method of fabricating the thermionic cathode are provided. The thermionic cathode includes an emitter. The emitter includes a lanthanum hexaboride (LaB.sub.6) crystal having a crystallographic orientation of (310). The operating temperature of the thermionic cathode is greater than 1800 K.

A thermionic cathode, an electron emission apparatus, and a method of fabricating the thermionic cathode are provided. The thermionic cathode includes an emitter. The emitter includes a lanthanum hexaboride (LaB.sub.6) crystal having a crystallographic orientation of (310). The operating temperature of the thermionic cathode is greater than 1800 K.

An electron source that can be used stably for a long time even when hexaboride is used, and an electron beam device using the electron source are provided. The invention is directed to an electron source which includes a filament made of a metal, a metal tube that is fixed to the filament and has a plurality of recesses disposed at least in two axial directions so as to surround a central axis at an outer periphery, and a columnar hexaboride tip that emits an electron, is disposed so as to protrude from the inside of the metal tube to a side opposite to the filament, and is in contact with a bottom of each of the plurality of recesses of the metal tube.

An electron source according to the present disclosure includes a columnar portion made of a first material having an electron emission characteristic; and a tubular portion that is disposed to surround the columnar portion and made of a second material having a higher work function than the first material, wherein a hole that extends in a direction from one end face toward the other end face and has a substantially circular cross-sectional shape is formed in the tubular portion, and the columnar portion has a substantially triangular or substantially quadrangular cross-sectional shape and is fixed to the tubular portion in an abutting engagement with an inner surface of the hole.

A cathode device including an emitter element for generating electrons. The emitter element can have an outer periphery and a distal tip. The tip can have a first angled surface that angles inwardly from the outer periphery, and a second angled surface that angles inwardly and is separated and inwardly offset from the first angled surface by a shoulder. A graphite cap which can be solid, extends around the emitter element and has an internal angled surface that engages the first angled surface of the tip of the emitter element, forming a gap of a controlled size separating the internal angled surface of the graphite cap from the second angled surface of the tip of the emitter element.

A cathode device including an emitter element for generating electrons. The emitter element can have an outer periphery and a distal tip. The tip can have a first angled surface that angles inwardly from the outer periphery, and a second angled surface that angles inwardly and is separated and inwardly offset from the first angled surface by a shoulder. A graphite cap which can be solid, extends around the emitter element and has an internal angled surface that engages the first angled surface of the tip of the emitter element, forming a gap of a controlled size separating the internal angled surface of the graphite cap from the second angled surface of the tip of the emitter element.

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.

A method for manufacturing an electron source includes steps of sandwiching a welding object in which a tip of an electron emission material and a tungsten filament overlap in direct contact between a pair of welding electrodes, and welding the tip and the tungsten filament by causing a current to flow while pressing forces are applied to the welding object by the pair of welding electrodes. A thickness of the welding object is within a range of 50 to 500 ?m.

An electron emitter that consists of: a low work function material including Lanthanum hexaboride or Iridium Cerium that acts as an emitter, a cylinder base made of high work function material that has a cone shape where the low work function material is embedded in the high work function material but is exposed at end of the cone and the combined structure is heated and biased to a negative voltage relative to an anode, an anode electrode that has positive bias relative to the emitter, and a wehnelt electrode with an aperture where the cylindrical base protrudes through the wehnelt aperture so the end of the cone containing the emissive area is placed between the wehnelt and the anode.