Disclosed is an electron beam generation source including: an electron discharge part extending on a desired axis and configured to discharge electrons; a support part electrically connected to a power supply device that supplies electric power to the electron discharge part; a tension holding part connected between one end of the electron discharge part and the support part and configured to hold tension of the electron discharge part with a pressing force or a tensile force; and a power supply path part having one end electrically connected to the support part and the other end electrically connected to the one end of the electron discharge part. An electric resistance value of the tension holding part is larger than an electric resistance value of the power supply path part.

Disclosed is an electron beam generation source including: an electron discharge part extending on a desired axis and configured to discharge electrons; a support part electrically connected to a power supply device that supplies electric power to the electron discharge part; a tension holding part connected between one end of the electron discharge part and the support part and configured to hold tension of the electron discharge part with a pressing force or a tensile force; and a power supply path part having one end electrically connected to the support part and the other end electrically connected to the one end of the electron discharge part. An electric resistance value of the tension holding part is larger than an electric resistance value of the power supply path part.

A DC circuit breaker includes a gas discharge tube (GDT) coupled in parallel with an extinguishing path. The GDT conducts and interrupts a load current through a normal current path. The GDT includes a thermionic cathode, an anode, and a control grid. The control grid is configured to regulate opening and closing of the normal current path. The extinguishing path is configured to lengthen a break time for the DC circuit breaker.

The embodiments provide a thermionic emission device and a method for tuning a work function in a thermionic emission device is provided. The method includes illuminating an N type semiconductor material of a first member of a thermionic emission device, wherein a work function of the N type semiconductor material is lowered by the illuminating. The method includes collecting, on one of the first member or a second member of the thermionic emission device, electrons emitted from one of the first member or the second member.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam device capable of estimating a lifetime of a filament of a charged particle beam source with a cheap and simple circuit configuration. The charged particle beam device according to the present invention includes a boosting circuit that boosts a voltage to be supplied to a filament and estimates a remaining duration of the filament using a measured value of a current flowing on a low-voltage side of the boosting circuit (see FIG. 3).

An objective of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam device capable of estimating a lifetime of a filament of a charged particle beam source with a cheap and simple circuit configuration. The charged particle beam device according to the present invention includes a boosting circuit that boosts a voltage to be supplied to a filament and estimates a remaining duration of the filament using a measured value of a current flowing on a low-voltage side of the boosting circuit (see FIG. 3).

An objective of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam device capable of estimating a lifetime of a filament of a charged particle beam source with a cheap and simple circuit configuration. The charged particle beam device according to the present invention includes a boosting circuit that boosts a voltage to be supplied to a filament and estimates a remaining duration of the filament using a measured value of a current flowing on a low-voltage side of the boosting circuit (see FIG. 3).

The embodiments provide a thermionic emission device and a method for tuning a work function in a thermionic emission device is provided. The method includes illuminating an N type semiconductor material of a first member of a thermionic emission device, wherein a work function of the N type semiconductor material is lowered by the illuminating. The method includes collecting, on one of the first member or a second member of the thermionic emission device, electrons emitted from one of the first member or the second member.

A method includes performing by a processor: estimating a total cathode space current for a thermionic vacuum tube having at least one grid and a plate, such that at least one amplification factor associated with the at least one grid is determined by a polynomial based on a variable that represents at plurality of voltages associated with the at least one grid and the plate, the variable being heuristically determine. Transitions between positive and negative grid operation may experience a step change in estimated current value caused by the inclusion or elimination of grid current. A part of the grid current may be added back into the plate current during transition. This small contribution to plate current may gradually diminish as tube operation moves farther away from the transition boundary.

An apparatus for generating electron radiation comprises: an elongated, wire-shaped hot cathode to emit electron radiation having an elongated, line-shaped cross section perpendicular to a direction of propagation of the electron radiation; a cathode electrode; an anode electrode with an opening through which the electron radiation emitted from the hot cathode can pass, wherein a voltage applied between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode accelerates electrons emitted from the hot cathode; and a deflecting unit to deflect the electron radiation downstream of the opening of the anode electrode, wherein a cross section of the electron radiation perpendicular to the direction of propagation is changed by the deflecting unit to decease a longitudinal extent of the electron radiation and to increase a transverse extent of the electron radiation such that longitudinal and transverse extents of the electron radiation perpendicular to the direction of propagation are about the same size.