Current status of plasma emission electronics: I. Basic physical processes

Abstract

This paper reviews the physical phenomena that accompany the emission of electrons and ions from plasma. The development of plasma emission electronics as an independent research field is closely associated with the name of its founder, Professor Kreindel Yu. E. The well-known advantages of plasma electron emitters (plasma cathodes) are the higher emission current density, the pulsed emission capability, and the wider range of residual gas pressures. A peculiar property of the plasma cathode is the possibility of extracting practically all electrons from plasma. The parameters of an ion and electron beam extracted from plasma carry information about the physical processes occurring in the plasma. This makes it possible to invoke emission methods to study the fundamental phenomena that take place in plasma of vacuum arc and low-pressures gas discharges.

Plasma Cathode Electron Sources

“…Later, in 1989, Plasma Processes in Technological Electron Guns was published [2], with contributions from several authors. The problems and promises of the development of plasma emission electronics have been addressed in various collections of articles [3-5], reviews papers [6][7][8][9][10], and the [11]. The formation of large-cross-section electron beams, including those produced in plasma-cathode systems, is discussed in [12].…”

Industrial Robot Automation in Solving Non-Vacuum Electron-Beam Welding Problems

“…Low-voltage gas discharge mode -hollow-cathode reflective discharge [6] is used in projectors with plasma emitter which are designed to generate focused high-brightness Ebeams. Electrons exposed to electric field are emitted from the gas-discharge plasma [6].…”

Fore-vacuum plasma-cathode electron sources

“…Plasma electron sources produce greater emission current density than hot-cathode systems, are capable of pulsed emission, operate over wide range of background gas pressure and are only weakly dependent on the residual vacuum conditions. The physics and application of electron beams produced by plasma-cathode systems have been discussed in detail (Kreindel, 1977;Zaviyalov et al, 1989;Oks, 2006), reviews (Oks, 1992;Oks & Schanin, 1999;Koval et al, 1992;Gushenets et al, 2003;Bugaev et al, 2003), and original papers (Goebel & Watking, 2000;Hershcovitch, 1993;Krasik et al, 2005;Osipov & Rempe, 2000).…”