A carrier generation source is provided, comprising a carrier generation area configured to provide carriers and a grid electrode, the grid electrode comprising an electrically conductive carrier, the carrier having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side being directly adjacent the carrier generation area, the carrier having a plurality of through-holes extending from the first side through the carrier to the second side, the through-holes on the first side each having a first opening surface and the through-holes on the second side having a second opening surface, the first opening surface being larger than the second opening surface.

The present disclosure addresses the problem of providing an electron gun that can directly monitor an intensity of an electron beam emitted from a photocathode using only the configuration provided to the electron gun, an electron beam applicator equipped with an electron gun, and a method for controlling an electron gun.

The aforementioned problem can be solved by an electron gun comprising a light source, a photocathode that emits an electron beam in response to receiving light from the light source, an anode, an electron-beam-shielding member with which it is possible to shield part of the electron beam, and a measurement unit that measures the intensity of the electron beam emitted from the photocathode using a measurement electron beam shielded by the electron-beam-shielding member.

An electron generating apparatus includes a filament, a power supply configured to supply power to the filament so as to make the filament emit an electron, and a controller configured to repeatedly detect a value having a correlation with power supplied from the power supply to the filament, determine whether a state of the filament satisfies a notification condition, by using a plurality of detected values, and perform notification when the state satisfies the notification condition.

An electron generating apparatus includes a filament, a power supply configured to supply power to the filament so as to make the filament emit an electron, and a controller configured to repeatedly detect a value having a correlation with power supplied from the power supply to the filament, determine whether a state of the filament satisfies a notification condition, by using a plurality of detected values, and perform notification when the state satisfies the notification condition.

A beam injector may include a cathode emitter to emit electrons and an electrode to bias at least a portion of the electrons to remain on the cathode emitter and focus the emitted electrons into an electron beam. The beam injector may also include a resistor coupled between the cathode emitter and the electrode and configured to allow self-regulation of a voltage potential on the electrode based at least in part on a current of the electron beam.

A beam injector may include a cathode emitter to emit electrons and an electrode to bias at least a portion of the electrons to remain on the cathode emitter and focus the emitted electrons into an electron beam. The beam injector may also include a resistor coupled between the cathode emitter and the electrode and configured to allow self-regulation of a voltage potential on the electrode based at least in part on a current of the electron beam.

When an emission current is changed, a decrease in brightness of an electron beam is prevented. An electron gun includes a cathode that emits thermoelectrons, a Wehnelt electrode that focuses the thermoelectrons, a control electrode that extracts the thermoelectrons from a distal end of said cathode, an anode that accelerates the thermoelectrons and irradiates a powder with the thermoelectrons as an electron beam, and an optimum condition collection controller that changes at least one of a bias voltage to be applied to the Wehnelt electrode and a control electrode voltage to be applied to the control electrode, and decides a combination of the bias voltage and the control electrode voltage at which the brightness of the electron beam reaches a peak.

When an emission current is changed, a decrease in brightness of an electron beam is prevented. An electron gun includes a cathode that emits thermoelectrons, a Wehnelt electrode that focuses the thermoelectrons, a control electrode that extracts the thermoelectrons from a distal end of said cathode, an anode that accelerates the thermoelectrons and irradiates a powder with the thermoelectrons as an electron beam, and an optimum condition collection controller that changes at least one of a bias voltage to be applied to the Wehnelt electrode and a control electrode voltage to be applied to the control electrode, and decides a combination of the bias voltage and the control electrode voltage at which the brightness of the electron beam reaches a peak.

An apparatus, system, and method for performing electron beam modulation includes an input pulser to provide an electromagnetic pulse; a radio frequency (RF) filter to filter the electromagnetic pulse; a nonlinear transmission line to receive the electromagnetic pulse, and generate a backward wave RF oscillation of a predetermined frequency to travel in a direction opposite that of the electromagnetic pulse; and an electron beam generating device including an anode and a cathode, the electron beam generating device to receive a combined electromagnetic pulse from the RF filter and the backward wave RF oscillation from the nonlinear transmission line to cause excitation of a modulated voltage between the anode and cathode, and to cause the electron beam generating device to emit an electron beam that is modulated at the predetermined frequency of the backward wave RF oscillation.

When an emission current is changed, a decrease in brightness of an electron beam is prevented. An electron gun includes a cathode that emits thermoelectrons, a Wehnelt electrode that focuses the thermoelectrons, a control electrode that extracts the thermoelectrons from a distal end of said cathode, an anode that accelerates the thermoelectrons and irradiates a powder with the thermoelectrons as an electron beam, and an optimum condition collection controller that changes at least one of a bias voltage to be applied to the Wehnelt electrode and a control electrode voltage to be applied to the control electrode, and decides a combination of the bias voltage and the control electrode voltage at which the brightness of the electron beam reaches a peak.