Cold electron sources have been studied with particular emphasis on mass spectrometric application. In these sources a relatively weak current from a primary emitter was amplified by an electron multiplier to provide sufficient electron current to ionize neutral gas molecules. The final designs of the cold sources use tantalum photocathodes powered by simulated sunlight as primary electron sources. The sources are highly efficient, consume negligible power, have minimal outgassing and gettering effects, and exhibit considerably less short-term emission fluctuations than a temperature-limited thermionic emitter. These devices would be well suited to calibration work and space flight instrumentation.
Articles you may be interested inMetal coated silicon spike cold-electron emitters show improvement of performance with operation Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 033501 (2010);
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