Infrared detection tube

Claim 2

An infrared imaging device comprising, cooling means for lowering the temperature of the device, a wafer of preselected infrared sensitive material, a layer of thin infrared transparent electrically conductive material deposited on one side of said wafer, a wire mosaic, said wire mosaic in intimate contact with the remaining side of said wafer, opaque material filling a preselected area between the wires of said wire mosaic, silver paste interposed between said wafer and the tips of the wires of said wire mosaic, a photoemissive surface deposited on one side of said wire mosaic, an evacuated tube having a grid, focusing means, and a phosphor screen at one end, said wire mosaic forming the other end of said tube, lamp means for illuminating said photoemissive surface thereby providing free electrons, voltage accelerating means whereby said free electrons are accelerated toward said phosphor screen and focussed on said screen in a predetermined manner, fixed bias means whereby free electrons are confined between said grid and said photoemissive cathode whereby the resistance of said infrared sensitive wafer cooperating with grid current flow reduces said bias permitting flow of electrons according to infrared radiation impinging on said wafer.

Claim 3

An infrared imaging tube according to claim 1 wherein said wafer of said infrared sensitive material is antimony compensated copper doped germanium, said opaque material is a mixture of black enamel oxide and nitrocellulous, and said photoemissive surface is cesium antimonide.

Claim 4

An infrared imaging tube according to claim 1 wherein said wafer of said infrared sensitive material is copper doped germanium, said opaque material is a mixture of black enamel oxide and nitrocellulous, and said photoemissive surface is cesium antimonide.

Claim 5

An infrared imaging device comprising, cooling means for maintaining the device at a preselected temperature; a wafer of copper doped antimony compensated germanium, a conducting surface pressed against one side of said wafer; said conducting surface penetrable by infrared radiation; an evacuated tube having at one end a wire mosaic surface of stainless steel wire and glass, said outside glass surface of said wire mosaic etched back a preselected distance, a light impervious filler of black enamel oxide and nitrocellulous filling the space between wires of said etched surface, silver paste on the outside tips of the stainless steel wires of said wire mosaic to provide a good electrical contact when said wafer is pressed against said wire mosaic surface of said evacuated tube, a cesium antimonide surface deposited on the inside surface of said wire mosaic, a grid disposed a preselected distance from said inside surface of said wire mosaic, an electrostatic focussing means disposed within said tube, an aluminized phosphorous screen deposited at an end of said tube opposite said wire mosaic; said wafer and said tube pressed together such that the tips of stainless steel wire are in intimate electrical contact with said wafer, a donut shaped mercury vapor lamp disposed about the tube so as to illuminate the cesium antimonide surface; a grid bias voltage source connecting said conductive surface on said wafer and said grid within said evacuated tube, an accelerating voltage source connecting said conducting surface on said wafer and said aluminized phosphorous screen whereby infrared radiation varying the resistance of portions of said wafer enable electrons freed from said cesium antimony surface in the close proximity to said portion of said wafer that are ordinarily restrained by said bias to be accelerated to said aluminized phosphorous screen thereby producing a visible image on said screen in accordance with the infrared image impinging on said infrared wafer.

Claim 6

An infrared imaging device comprising, cooling means for maintaining the device at a preselected temperature; a wafer of copper doped antimony compensated germanium, a conducting surface pressed against one side of said wafer; said conducting surface penetrable by infrared radiation; an evacuated tube having at one end a wire mosaic surface of stainless steel wire and glass, said outside glass surface of said wire mosaic etched back a preselected distance, a light impervious filler of black enamel oxide and nitrocellulous filling the space between wires of said etched surface, silver paste on the outside tips of the stainless steel wires of said wire mosaic to provide a good electrical contact when said wafer is pressed against said wire mosaic surface of said evacuated tube, a cesium antimonide surface deposited on the inside surface of said wire mosaic, a grid disposed a preselected distance from said inside surface of said wire mosaic, an electrostatic focussing means disposed within said tube, an aluminized phosphorous screen deposited at an end of said tube opposite said wire mosaic; said wafer and said tube pressed together such that the tips of stainless steel wire are in intimate electrical contact with said wafer, a donut shaped mercury vapor lamp disposed about the tube so as to illuminate the cesium antimonide surface; a grid bias voltage source connecting said conductive surface on said wafer and said grid within said evacuated tube, an accelerating voltage source connecting said conducting surface on said wafer and said aluminized phosphorous screen whereby infrared radiation varying the resistance of portions of said wafer enable electrons freed from said cesium antimony surface in the close proximity to said portion of said wafer that are ordinarily restrained by said bias to be accelerated to said aluminized phosphorous screen thereby producing a visible image on said screen in accordance with the infrared image impinging on said infrared wafer.

Claim 7

An infrared imaging device according to claim 4 which further includes means for gating said mercury lamp on and off.