A miniature x-ray tube

Abstract

A miniature x-ray tube is described. The tube is made of Kovar, inside which a grounded target is located close to a field-electron emitter consisting of aligned carbon nanofibers, which continues to work for around 100 h in the 10 Ϫ6 Pa region unless arcing is induced between the electrodes. The resolution of the contact x-ray images provided by the tube would be impossible using the existing techniques of conventional x-ray radiography, whether the sample is biological or nonbiological.

Carbon Nanotube X‐Ray for Dynamic Micro‐CT Imaging of Small Animal Models

“…Besides our team at UNC, the CNT field emission X-ray technology is now being actively investigated by a number of academic groups and major companies in the world [30,[38][39][40][41]. Potential preclinical and clinical applications including micro-CT [42][43][44], stationary digital breast tomosynthesis [45], and tomosynthesis-based imaging guided radiation therapy are being developed.…”

Nevada Test Site-Directed Research, Development, and Demonstration. FY2005 report

“…The next step would be to develop a scheme to modulate source current using a low-voltage sinusoidal waveform or pulser. Combining this source with an acceleration structure, the energized electron beam can be used to produce bremsstrahlung radiation, to create a compact, continuous-wave x-ray source for radiography (Sugie, 2001;Haga, 2004). At gigahertz modulation frequencies, this compact FE-based source would become an x-ray comb generator, an ideal calibration source for an x-ray streak camera.…”

The technique of field emission parameters research for nanostructured materials improvement

“…Due to excellent field emission (FE) properties of CNTs, they can be used as unheated cathodes for X-ray sources, field emission displays, luminescent mercury-free tubes and vacuum triodes [1][2][3][4][5]. In spite of significant success in practical implementation of CNT for FE, many important problems have not been solved yet.…”