General Electric Company
Creep resistant electron emitter material and fabrication method

Abstract:

In the present invention, a flat emitter is formed by the formation of emitter material wires into a unitary non-porous flat emitter structure. The wires are formed with increased yield and tensile strength as a result of the manner of the formation of the emitter material or metal into the wires that is transferred to the flat emitter. To form the flat emitter, the wires are encapsulated and subjected to sufficient temperatures and pressure in a hot isostatic pressing treatment/process to increase the density of the wires into a solid sheet without the presence of voids or pores in the sheet. In forming the emitter sheet in this manner, the strength properties from the wires are retained within the sheet to provide the emitter with increased creep resistance and a consequently longer useful life in the x-ray tube.