A night vision system along with an image intensifier tube having a microchannel plate and method of forming the microchannel plate are provided. The microchannel plate comprises a plurality of spaced channels extending through the microchannel plate, wherein each channel sidewall surface near the input face of the microchannel plate comprises a series of layers formed thereon. The input face of the microchannel plate, as well as the sidewall surfaces of each channel near the input surfaces, are configured with an electron backscatter layer arranged between a contact metal layer and a secondary electron booster layer. When formed partially into the channel openings near the input face, the electron backscatter layer and overlying secondary electron booster layer are configured circumferentially around the sidewall surfaces and extend radially inward toward a central axis of each channel.

A night vision system along with an image intensifier tube and method for forming the tube are provided. The night vision system incorporates the image intensifier tube in both an analog channel as well as a digital channel, with an addressable display within the analog image intensifier tube analog channel configured to create an electronically addressable output. An analog image intensifier tube is included in the digital imager for presenting binary digital signals representative of an image, or of symbol indicia, and registering those digital representation from the digital imager onto one or more electron multipliers of the analog image intensifier tube within the analog channel. The provided night vision system also utilizes a cathodoluminescent screen, which is a highly efficient light source that reduces system power.

A night vision system along with an image intensifier tube having a microchannel plate and method of forming the microchannel plate are provided. The microchannel plate comprises a plurality of spaced channels extending through the microchannel plate, wherein each channel sidewall surface near the input face of the microchannel plate comprises a series of layers formed thereon. The input face of the microchannel plate, as well as the sidewall surfaces of each channel near the input surfaces, are configured with an electron backscatter layer arranged between a contact metal layer and a secondary electron booster layer. When formed partially into the channel openings near the input face, the electron backscatter layer and overlying secondary electron booster layer are configured circumferentially around the sidewall surfaces and extend radially inward toward a central axis of each channel.

Image intensifier systems incorporating a microchannel plate (MCP) and methods for producing the same are disclosed. A device is disclosed that includes a first substrate having a radiation-receiving first surface and an opposed second surface through which electromagnetic radiation is transmitted. A second substrate is coupled to the first substrate to define a vacuum cavity therebetween having electron-emitting photocathode is disposed therein. A microchannel plate (MCP) is disposed within the vacuum cavity and defines microchannels extending from an input end to an output end. Each of the microchannels is configured to generate/amplify electrons in response to the electrons received photocathode. The imaging array can include a plurality of metal plates connected to capacitors and configured to collect electrons from the MCP to produce a digital image responsive to electromagnetic radiation received at the first substrate and converted to electrons by the photocathode and multiplied by the MCP.

A photocathode epitaxial structure. The photocathode epitaxial structure includes a binary compound substrate material. The photocathode epitaxial structure further includes an active device absorber layer forming a portion of a p-type device photocathode formed on the binary compound substrate material. The active device absorber layer comprising a material structure configured to be lattice matched with the substrate material to reduce strain to allow charge carriers to go further in the active device absorber layer implemented in the photocathode of a nightvision system.

A photocathode epitaxial structure. The photocathode epitaxial structure includes an improved substrate stack. The improved substrate stack includes a GaAs substrate and one or more additional layers formed on the GaAs substrate. The one or more additional layers are configured to provide an improved substrate stack surface with predetermined characteristics for forming a semiconductor device on the improved substrate stack surface. The photocathode epitaxial structure further includes an InGaAs p-type photocathode formed on the improved substrate stack surface. The InGaAs p-type photocathode has a predetermined percentage of In.

An image intensifier assembly has an image intensifier tube having a optical element. The optical element includes a emitting surface. The optical element comprises an outer dimension. The image intensifier assembly further includes a first power supply comprising a first circuit board having a first inner dimension defining an opening, a first outer dimension and a first thickness. The first inner dimension surrounds the outer dimension of the optical element. The first outer dimension is within the image intensifier assembly. The first circuit board further includes a component surface. The component surface extends from the first inner dimension to the first outer dimension. The first circuit board has power supply components mounted on the component surface.

The present invention provides a microchannel plate, a preparation method and application thereof, where the microchannel plate is provided with a large number of channels penetrating in the thickness direction. On one side of an inlet end face of the microchannel plate, a flared end face of each channel is a hexagonal tapered bore; and in a cross-section perpendicular to an axial direction of each channel, the flared end face of the channel has an outer edge that is hexagonal and an inner edge that is circular. The present invention proposes a hexagonal special-shaped flared microchannel plate with an array of micropores having hexagonal tapered bores in the end face and cylindrical inside, where the circles in the form of a hexagonal packed periodic array is replaced with the hexagons in the form of a hexagonal close-packed periodic array, so that the close-packed coefficient of the channel array of the microchannel plate increases from 0.907 when the existing circular channels are arranged in a hexagonal manner to 1 when the hexagonal channels are arranged in a hexagonal manner, so that when the flared end face channel wall thickness of the channel of the microchannel plate is 100 nm, an open area ratio of the microchannel plate is 91%. The present invention significantly improves the open area ratio of the input surface of the microchannel plate, improves the detection efficiency of the microchannel plate for an input signal, while avoiding generation of a flared tip to cause a tip discharge, and thus is more suitable for practical use.

There is disclosed a gated power supply for a night vision system includes an input terminal to receive source power, and output terminal to electrically couple to a photocathode, a first voltage source to source a positive or neutral voltage to the photocathode, a second voltage source to source a large negative voltage to the photocathode, and a switching circuit to switch between the first voltage source and the second voltage source on a duty cycle, wherein the switching circuit comprises an optical switch.