Controlling total emission current of an electron emitting construct in an x-ray emitting device by providing a cathode, providing multiple active areas each active area having a gated cone electron source, including multiple emitter tips arranged in an array, a gate electrode, and a gate interconnect lead connected to the gate electrode, providing an x-ray emitting construct comprising an anode, the anode being an x-ray target, situating the x-ray emitting construct facing the active areas face each other, selecting a set of active areas, and activating selected active areas by conductively connecting a voltage source to their associated the gate electrode interconnect lead.

A source for generating ionizing radiation and in particular x-rays, to an assembly includes a plurality of sources and to a process for producing the source. The source comprises: a vacuum chamber; a cathode that is able to emit an electron beam into the chamber; an anode that receives the electron beam and that comprises a target that is able to generate ionizing radiation from the energy received from the electron beam; an electrode that is placed in the vicinity of the cathode and that allows the electron beam to be focused; a stopper ensuring the seal tightness of the vacuum chamber; and a mechanical part that is made of dielectric and that forms a portion of the vacuum chamber; and the stopper is fastened to the mechanical part by means of a conductive brazing film that is used to electrically connect the electrode.

An electron collector for an x-ray tube having an electron collector base and an electron collector insert. The electron collector insert may be composed of a thermally enhanced material and is used to mitigate thermal stress from the electron collector. The electron collector insert may further prevent cracking and thermal fatigue of the electron collector.

Systems and methods are provided for improving thermal management strategies of a cathode assembly of an x-ray tube. In one embodiment, an x-ray tube comprises an anode assembly and a cathode assembly, wherein the cathode assembly includes one or more elements that include an internal porous section for controlling a flow of heat within the cathode assembly during operation of the x-ray tube. In this way, heat conduction to temperature sensitive aspects of the cathode assembly may be reduced, while enabling sufficient heat transfer to other parts of the cathode assembly to minimize deformation.

Disclosed herein is an x-ray backscatter apparatus (“apparatus”) for non-destructive inspection of an object. The apparatus includes an x-ray emitter that includes a vacuum tube, an x-ray shield enclosed within the vacuum tube. The x-ray shield includes at least one emission aperture. The apparatus also includes a cathode enclosed within the vacuum tube and that is operable to generate an electron stream. Also included is an anode, enclosed within the vacuum tube and located relative to the cathode, to receive the electron stream and convert the electron stream from the cathode to an x-ray stream, and located relative to the emission aperture to direct at least a portion of the x-ray stream through the at least one emission aperture. Also disclosed are a system and a method that utilize the apparatus.

An X-ray source (10) for generating X-rays (11) is provided. The X-ray source (10) comprises an emitter arrangement (12) for generating electrons or for generating X-rays, at least one feedthrough (38) for supplying electrical power to the emitter arrangement (12), and an insulator (20) configured for isolating an electrical potential of the at least one feedthrough (38) from a ground potential. Therein, the at least one feedthrough (38) extends at least partly through the insulator (20), and at least a part of the insulator (20) is in thermal contact with at least a part of the emitter arrangement (12). Further, the insulator (20) comprises at least one cooling channel (28) formed completely in an interior volume (25) of the insulator (20) and configured to dissipate heat from the emitter arrangement (12), wherein a distance (29) between an outer surface (26) of the insulator (20) and the cooling channel (28) is at least as large as half of a thickness (27) of the cooling channel (20).

Various methods and systems are provided for a cathode cup having a surface texturing to aid in adherence of emitter deposited films. In one embodiment, a method may include chemically and/or mechanically texturing a surface of a cathode cup to form a plurality of features with a higher than threshold depth of each feature, the surface of the cathode cup facing an emitter coupled to the cathode cup.

An improved X-ray source is disclosed. The improved X-ray source has an enclosure, electron guns, a first set of address lines extending through the enclosure, a second set of address lines extending through the enclosure, and nodes defined by the intersection of the first and second set of address lines. Each of the electron guns is coupled to one of the nodes such that a state of each electron gun is uniquely controlled by modulating a state of one of the first set of address lines and one of the second set of address lines.

A apparatus may include a power supply to receive a first voltage potential and output a second voltage potential that is greater than the first voltage potential and a cathode emitter to emit ions in response to application of the second voltage potential. The apparatus may also include a step down transformer to receive the second voltage potential and output a third voltage potential that is less than the second voltage potential. The apparatus may also include a heating element to, in response to application of the third voltage potential, heat the cathode emitter and lower a work function of the cathode emitter.

Provided is an X-ray tube. The X-ray tube includes a cathode electrode, an anode electrode vertically spaced apart from the cathode electrode, an emitter on the cathode electrode, a gate electrode disposed between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode, the gate electrode including an opening at a position corresponding to the emitter, and a spacer provided between the gate electrode and the anode electrode. The spacer includes an insulator and conductive dopants doped in the insulator.