Electrode arrangement serving to accelerate a charge carrier beam in a vacuum

Claim 2

An electrode assembly for accelerating a charge-carrier beam, comprising: a. an enclosure having therein an insulating body and an evacuable chamber defined by the inside walls of said insulating body, said chamber being adapted to allow passage of the charge-carrier beam along a path therethrough; b. at least two separately spaced accelerating electrodes, each having a passageway therethrough, the beam path passing through said passageways, said accelerating electrodes being stationarily mounted within said insulating body and being maintainable at predetermined differing electric potentials to propel the charge-carriers of the charge-carrier beam along said path; c. and body protecting means for accelerating electrons away from said inside walls of said insulating body, said body protecting means including electrode conductor means extending substantially about said beam path and at least in part also extending about said accelerating electrodes and spaced in a radial direction with respect to said accelerating electrodes, said electrode conductor means being embedded within said walls of said insulating body; d. means for maintaining said electrode conductor means at an electric potential which is a function of the potential of at least one of said accelerating electrodes, said means for maintaining the potential of said electrode conductor means comprising an electrically conductive connection between said electrode conductor means and one of said accelerating electrodes which is adjacent upstream of the accelerating electrode about which said electrode conductor means extends with respect to said beam path.

Claim 3

The electrode assembly of claim 1, in which said electrode conductor means is of a generally cylindrical configuration.

Claim 4

The electrode assembly of claim 2, in which said electrode conductor means is conductively connected to the one of said accelerating electrodes about which said electrode conductor means extends, and said electrode conductor means and said one of said electrodes in combination have a configuration which is generally cylindrical, having one open end and one closed end, said closed end having said passageway located therein.

Claim 5

The electrode assembly of claim 1, in which: a. each of said accelerating electrodes comprises, in the region of said passageway therethrough, through which said beam path extends, an openended cylinder portion of conductive material, b. said electrode conductor means being conductively connected to and extending about the said cylindrical portion of a first one of the accelerating electrodes, and c. said electrode conductor means additionally extends about the said cylindrical portion of an acceleration electrode which is adjacent to and upstream of said first one of the accelerating electrodes with respect to the beam path of said charge carriers.

Claim 6

The electrode assembly of claim 1, in which said means for maintaining the potential of said electrode conductor means comprises an electrically conductive connection between said electrode conductor means and the one of said accelerating electrodes which is adjacently upstream of the accelerating electrode about which said electrode conductor means extends with respect to said beam path, further comprising means for maintaining said accelerating electrodes at different electric potentials, including: a. a voltage dividing circuit adapted to be connected across a source of voltage, and b. electrically conductive taps connecting each of said accelerating electrodes to a different point of electrical potential on said voltage divider circuit.

Claim 7

The electrode assembly of claim 1, in which one of the said accelerating electrodes about which said electrode conductor means extends is fastened to the inside walls of said chamber by a conductive holding element, and said electrically conductive connection is between said holding element and said electrode conductor means.

Claim 8

The electrode assembly of claim 1, in which the said inside walls of said insulating body includes an inward projecting portion in the region of said electrode conductor means.

Claim 9

The electrode assembly of claim 3, in which the said inside walls of said insulating body includes an inward projecting portion in the region of said electrode conductor means, the greatest degree of inward constriction being adjacent said open end of said cylindrical configuration formed by said electrode conductor means and said one of said accelerating electrodes about which said electrode conductor means extends.

Claim 10

The electrode assembly of claim 3, in which the thickness of said electrode conductor means is greatest in the region near said open end of said cylindrical configuration.

Claim 11

The electrode assembly of claim 3, further comprising an annular conductive body attached to said electrode conductor means and extending generally along and around said open end of said cylindrical configuration.

Claim 12

The electrode assembly of claim 10, in which said annular conductive body comprises a wire spiral.

Claim 13

The electrode assembly of claim 1, in which said electrode conductor means comprises a woven wire mesh embedded within the material of said insulating body.

Claim 14

The electrode assembly of claim 1, in which said electrode conductor means comprises a metallized surface within the walls of said insulating enclosure.

Claim 15

The electrode assembly of claim 1, in which said electrode conductor means is made of a material having high thermal conductivity.

Claim 16

An electrode assembly for accelerating a charge-carrier beam, comprising: a. a hollow insulating body and a hollow evacuable chamber defined by the inside walls of said insulating body, said chamber being adapted to allow passage of the charge-carrier beam along an acceleration path therethrough, a grounded electric conductor disposed on the outer surface of said insulating body; b. at least two separately spaced accelerating electrodes, each having a central passageway therethrough, the beam passing through said passageways, said accelerating electrodes being stationarily mounted within said insulating body and being maintainable at predetermined differing electric potentials to propel the chargecarriers of the charge-carrier beam along said acceleration path, one of said accelerating electrodes and said earthed electric conductor covering on the outer surface of the insulating body; c. at least a supplementary electrode being of a generally cylindrical configuration extending coaxially about said acceleration path and at least in part also extending about said accelerating electrodes and spaced in a radial direction with respect to said accelerating electrodes, said supplementary electrode being totally embedded within said walls of said insulating body and modifying the electric field external of said path; d. means for maintaining said supplementary field modifying electrode at an electric potential which is a function of the potential of at least one of said accelerating electrodes, said means for maintaining the potential of said supplementary field modifying electrode comprising an electrically conductive and direct connection between said supplementary field modifying electrode and one of said accelerating electrodes which is adjacently upstream of the accelerating electrode about which said supplementary field modifying electrode extends with respect to said acceleration path, whereby the distribution of the electric field in the region of said inside walls of said insulating body is made relatively constant and the lines of force of the electric field pass into the insulator walls at an angle such that free negative charge carriers are accelerated away from the surface of said inside walls of said insulating body.

Claim 17

An electrode assembly for accelerating a charge-carrier beam, comprising: a. a hollow insulating body and a hollow evacuable chamber defined by the inside walls of said insulating body, said chamber being adapted to allow passage of the charge-carrier beam along an acceleration path therethrough, a grounded electric conductor disposed on the outer surface of said insulating body; b. at least two separately spaced accelerating electrodes, each having a central passageway therethrough, the beam passing through said passageways, said accelerating electrodes being stationarily mounted within said insulating body and being maintainable at predetermined differing electric potentials to propel the chargecarriers of the charge-carrier beam along said acceleration path, one of said accelerating electrodes and said earthed electric conductor covering on the outer surface of the insulating body; c. at least a supplementary electrode being of a generally cylindrical configuration extending coaxially about said acceleration path and at least in part also extending about said accelerating electrodes and spaced in a radial direction with respect to said accelerating electrodes, said supplementary electrode being totally embedded within said walls of said insulating body and modifying the electric field external of said path; d. means for maintaining said supplementary field modifying electrode at an electric potential which is a function of the potential of at least one of said accelerating electrodes, said means for maintaining the potential of said supplementary field modifying electrode comprising an electrically conductive and direct connection between said supplementary field modifying electrode and one of said accelerating electrodes which is adjacently upstream of the accelerating electrode about which said supplementary field modifying electrode extends with respect to said acceleration path, whereby the distribution of the electric field in the region of said inside walls of said insulating body is made relatively constant and the lines of force of the electric field pass into the insulator walls at an angle such that free negative charge carriers are accelerated away from the surface of said inside walls of said insulating body.