US3387161A - Photocathode for electron tubes - Google Patents

Photocathode for electron tubes Download PDF

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Publication number
US3387161A
US3387161A US508499A US50849965A US3387161A US 3387161 A US3387161 A US 3387161A US 508499 A US508499 A US 508499A US 50849965 A US50849965 A US 50849965A US 3387161 A US3387161 A US 3387161A
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United States
Prior art keywords
photocathode
gallium arsenide
electron
approximately
gallium
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Expired - Lifetime
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US508499A
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English (en)
Inventor
Johannes Van Laar
Scheer Jacob Jan
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US Philips Corp
North American Philips Co Inc
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US Philips Corp
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J40/00—Photoelectric discharge tubes not involving the ionisation of a gas
    • H01J40/02—Details
    • H01J40/04—Electrodes
    • H01J40/06—Photo-emissive cathodes
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J1/00—Details of electrodes, of magnetic control means, of screens, or of the mounting or spacing thereof, common to two or more basic types of discharge tubes or lamps
    • H01J1/02—Main electrodes
    • H01J1/34—Photo-emissive cathodes
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J29/00—Details of cathode-ray tubes or of electron-beam tubes of the types covered by group H01J31/00
    • H01J29/02—Electrodes; Screens; Mounting, supporting, spacing or insulating thereof
    • H01J29/10—Screens on or from which an image or pattern is formed, picked up, converted or stored
    • H01J29/36—Photoelectric screens; Charge-storage screens
    • H01J29/38—Photoelectric screens; Charge-storage screens not using charge storage, e.g. photo-emissive screen, extended cathode
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J2201/00—Electrodes common to discharge tubes
    • H01J2201/34—Photoemissive electrodes
    • H01J2201/342—Cathodes
    • H01J2201/3421—Composition of the emitting surface
    • H01J2201/3423—Semiconductors, e.g. GaAs, NEA emitters
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S148/00—Metal treatment
    • Y10S148/12—Photocathodes-Cs coated and solar cell

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a photocathode for an electron tube or device.
  • it relates to a p-conductivity-type semiconductor photocathode or electron emitter activated with an alkali metal.
  • An alkali metal is to be understood to mean herein also an alkali metaloxygen combination constituting a substance of low work function.
  • the prior art photocathodes of the aforementioned composition have a comparatively high red sensitivity and their maximum quantum efi'i-ciencies may amount on an average to 20%.
  • the red boundary lies well over 6300 A., and the maximum quantum efliciency of approximately 20% is attained after an abrupt rise of the sensitivity curve at approximately 4200 A.
  • the red boundary extends further out to approximately 8500 A., but the sensitivity curve rises more slowly so that the maximum quantum efliciency of almost 40% is attained only at approximately 4200 A.
  • That wavelength at which the quantum efiiciency amounts to 1% of the maximum efficiency of the sensitivity curve is assumed to be the red boundary.
  • the red boundary consequently does not provide an absolute value for the sensitivity at that boundary.
  • the main object of our invention is to provide improved photocathodes which also have a favorable red boundary.
  • the photocathode comprises an alkali-metal-activated, heavily-doped, p-conductivity type IIIV compound or mixed crystals of such compounds with an energy gap lying between 1.1 electron-volts (e-v.) and 1.6 electron-volts (ev.).
  • an I'IIV compound is understood to mean a practically equiatomic intermetallic compound of one of the elements (111) of the third column of the periodical system, viz., boron, aluminum, gallium, and indium, and one of the elements (V) of the fifth column of the periodical system, viz., nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony.
  • this AIII-BV compound preferably consists of gallium arsenide having an acceptor concentration of at least 1X10 per cm. and preferably at least 1 l0 per cmfi.
  • the maximum concentration amounts to approximately 1 'l0 A photocathode is thus obtained whose maximumquantum efficiency is at least equal to that of the known red-sensitive cathodes, and moreover the red boundary lies at a considerably greater wavelength than in the case of the known photocathodes.
  • the overall sensitivity to white light is increased.
  • a preferred composition of our new photocathode is cesium-activated gallium arsenide containing 4X10 zinc atoms per cm. The red boundary then lies upwards of 9200 A. and the maximum quantum efliciency of ap proximately 40% is already attained at approximately 6000 A. It is also possible to incorporate in the semiconductor other acceptor elements which produce p-conductivity in gallium arsenide in addition to the zinc. Examples of other acceptor elements are cadmium, mercury, or tellurium.
  • a preferred mixed crystal of the invention comprises gallium arsenide with at the most a few percent, viz., 10%, of gallium phosphide or gallium antimonide.
  • FIGS. 1 to 4 show different electron tubes containing a photocathode in accordance with the invention
  • FIG. 5 illustrates spectral sensitivity curves comparing the sensitivities of various photocathodes.
  • the photocathode is mounted within an envelope, which is usually evacuated, in a position to receive the energizing photons of the incident light or radiation.
  • the electron e-missive part of the photocathode generally borders the evacuated space and emits electrons into it, which are collected by an anode or collecting electrode positioned a small distance away.
  • the cathode and anode are connected across a source of potential and load in an external circuit.
  • the emissive surface may be a surface formed by cleaving the monocrystal along a crystal plane in a high vacuum or in air. Or the emissive surface may be formed by evaporating the material to form a thin layer on a conductive support.
  • the alkali-metal activation usually cesium, which has the lowest work function, is done in the conventional manner.
  • a source of cesium is provided and cesium evaporated within the tube so as to form a deposit on the emissive surface of the cathode.
  • cesium cesium
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a tube of the type described in our previously-mentioned paper for making a crystal photocathode. It comprises a movable metal bellows 2 secured in a vacuum-tight manner to a quartz bulb 1. This metal part 2 supports a steel knife 3 by means of which part of a gallium arsenide monocrystal 4 is severed to expose a pure gallium arsenide surface. From a source (not shown), which may be of the type described in our previously-mentioned paper, an approximately monoatomic cesium layer 5 is applied to this freshly-cleaved surface by vaporization. A plate 6 serves as an anode. Upon exposure to radiation through the bulb 1, electrons are emitted from the cathode 4, 5.
  • FIG. 2 shows a modified phototube containing a curved molybdenum plate 8 arranged in an envelope.
  • a layer 9 of gallium arsenide containing /2 of gallium phosphide Onto the plate 8 is applied by vaporization a layer 9 of gallium arsenide containing /2 of gallium phosphide.
  • a fine granulated mixture of doped gallium arsenide and gallium ph-osphide is fed, in a good vacuum, into a heated tantalum crucible such that it immediately evaporates. This technique is known in the art as flush evaporation.
  • the molybdenum substrate 8 is held at a temperature of about 500 C. to obtain the desired crystal structure. Afterwards, an approximately monoatomic cesium layer is applied to the gallium arsenide layer 9 to produce the finished cathode.
  • the anode is denoted by 10.
  • FIG. 3 shows a photomultiplier tube comprising a glass envelope 11 on one end of which is deposited by vaporization a cesium-activated gallium arsenide layer 12 having a thickness of 1000 A.
  • the tube is also provided with a plurality of multiplier or dynode electrodes 13 and an anode 14 which constitute the remainder of the electrode system.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates an iconoscope with a gallium arsenide layer 16 deposited by vaporization on the flat end 15 of the envelope and serving as the light sensitive cathode. Of the remaining electrodes, only the thermionic cathode -17 is shown.
  • FIG. compares the spectral sensitivity of the photocathode of the invention with several prior art cathodes.
  • the quantum efficiencies are plotted along the ordinate as a function of the wavelength of the exciting light in A.
  • the curve I was obtained with a monocrystal of cesium-activated gallum arsenide containing 4 10 atoms of zinc/cm. cleaved in a vacuum of torr.
  • the curve II is typical of a Na KSb-Cs cathode
  • the curve III is typical of a cathode Cs Sb.
  • the gallium arsenide photocathode of the invention has a particularly favorable quantum efficiency, a very long-wave red boundary and a steeply ascending sensitivity curve.
  • the light outputs for white light for the photocathodes associated with the curves I, II and III are approximately 450 a/lumen, 150 ,ua/lumen and 50 nah/lumen, respectively.
  • a photocathode of an electron tube having an emissive surface portion comprising a p-type semiconductive material having an acceptor concentration of at least 1x10 atoms/cm. and selected from the group consisting of a III-V compound and mixed crystals of III-V compounds and having an energy gap between 1.1 and 1.6 electron volts and activated with an alkali metal, where III is an element selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum, gallium, and indium, and V is an element selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony.

Landscapes

  • Common Detailed Techniques For Electron Tubes Or Discharge Tubes (AREA)
  • Formation Of Various Coating Films On Cathode Ray Tubes And Lamps (AREA)
  • Vessels And Coating Films For Discharge Lamps (AREA)
  • Discharge Lamps And Accessories Thereof (AREA)
  • Image-Pickup Tubes, Image-Amplification Tubes, And Storage Tubes (AREA)
US508499A 1964-12-02 1965-11-18 Photocathode for electron tubes Expired - Lifetime US3387161A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL646413961A NL147572B (nl) 1964-12-02 1964-12-02 Elektrische ontladingsbuis met een fotokathode.

Publications (1)

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US3387161A true US3387161A (en) 1968-06-04

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US508499A Expired - Lifetime US3387161A (en) 1964-12-02 1965-11-18 Photocathode for electron tubes

Country Status (10)

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US (1) US3387161A (de)
AT (1) AT255506B (de)
BE (1) BE673078A (de)
CH (1) CH441527A (de)
DE (1) DE1256808B (de)
DK (1) DK120403B (de)
ES (1) ES320158A1 (de)
GB (1) GB1086228A (de)
NL (1) NL147572B (de)
SE (1) SE325968B (de)

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3521073A (en) * 1965-11-26 1970-07-21 Gen Dynamics Corp Light emitting semiconductor diode using the field emission effect
US3575628A (en) * 1968-11-26 1971-04-20 Westinghouse Electric Corp Transmissive photocathode and devices utilizing the same
US3630587A (en) * 1968-03-15 1971-12-28 Philips Corp Activating method for cesium activated iii-v compound photocathode using rare gas bombardment
US3631303A (en) * 1970-01-19 1971-12-28 Varian Associates Iii-v cathodes having a built-in gradient of potential energy for increasing the emission efficiency
US3632442A (en) * 1967-04-21 1972-01-04 Philips Corp Photocathodes
US3667007A (en) * 1970-02-25 1972-05-30 Rca Corp Semiconductor electron emitter
US3699404A (en) * 1971-02-24 1972-10-17 Rca Corp Negative effective electron affinity emitters with drift fields using deep acceptor doping
US3769536A (en) * 1972-01-28 1973-10-30 Varian Associates Iii-v photocathode bonded to a foreign transparent substrate
US3845496A (en) * 1973-09-10 1974-10-29 Rca Corp Infrared photocathode
US3958143A (en) * 1973-01-15 1976-05-18 Varian Associates Long-wavelength photoemission cathode
US3960421A (en) * 1972-03-27 1976-06-01 U.S. Philips Corporation Method of manufacturing a non-thermally emitting electrode for an electric discharge tube
US3986065A (en) * 1974-10-24 1976-10-12 Rca Corporation Insulating nitride compounds as electron emitters
US4816183A (en) * 1986-08-21 1989-03-28 The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior University Composite photosensitive material
US5982093A (en) * 1997-04-10 1999-11-09 Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. Photocathode and electron tube having enhanced absorption edge characteristics
US20060049755A1 (en) * 2003-01-17 2006-03-09 Takashi Watanabe Alkali metal generating agent, alkali metal generator, photoelectric surface, secondary electron emission surface, electron tube, method for manufacturing photoelectric surface, method for manufacturing secondary electron emission surface, and method for manufacturing electron tube

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH1196896A (ja) * 1997-09-24 1999-04-09 Hamamatsu Photonics Kk 半導体光電面

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3098168A (en) * 1958-03-24 1963-07-16 Csf Hot electron cold lattice semiconductor cathode
US3114070A (en) * 1957-12-16 1963-12-10 Ass Elect Ind Manchester Ltd Electron emitters

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3114070A (en) * 1957-12-16 1963-12-10 Ass Elect Ind Manchester Ltd Electron emitters
US3098168A (en) * 1958-03-24 1963-07-16 Csf Hot electron cold lattice semiconductor cathode

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3521073A (en) * 1965-11-26 1970-07-21 Gen Dynamics Corp Light emitting semiconductor diode using the field emission effect
US3632442A (en) * 1967-04-21 1972-01-04 Philips Corp Photocathodes
US3630587A (en) * 1968-03-15 1971-12-28 Philips Corp Activating method for cesium activated iii-v compound photocathode using rare gas bombardment
US3575628A (en) * 1968-11-26 1971-04-20 Westinghouse Electric Corp Transmissive photocathode and devices utilizing the same
US3631303A (en) * 1970-01-19 1971-12-28 Varian Associates Iii-v cathodes having a built-in gradient of potential energy for increasing the emission efficiency
US3667007A (en) * 1970-02-25 1972-05-30 Rca Corp Semiconductor electron emitter
US3699404A (en) * 1971-02-24 1972-10-17 Rca Corp Negative effective electron affinity emitters with drift fields using deep acceptor doping
US3769536A (en) * 1972-01-28 1973-10-30 Varian Associates Iii-v photocathode bonded to a foreign transparent substrate
US3960421A (en) * 1972-03-27 1976-06-01 U.S. Philips Corporation Method of manufacturing a non-thermally emitting electrode for an electric discharge tube
US3958143A (en) * 1973-01-15 1976-05-18 Varian Associates Long-wavelength photoemission cathode
US3845496A (en) * 1973-09-10 1974-10-29 Rca Corp Infrared photocathode
US3986065A (en) * 1974-10-24 1976-10-12 Rca Corporation Insulating nitride compounds as electron emitters
US4816183A (en) * 1986-08-21 1989-03-28 The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior University Composite photosensitive material
US5982093A (en) * 1997-04-10 1999-11-09 Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. Photocathode and electron tube having enhanced absorption edge characteristics
US20060049755A1 (en) * 2003-01-17 2006-03-09 Takashi Watanabe Alkali metal generating agent, alkali metal generator, photoelectric surface, secondary electron emission surface, electron tube, method for manufacturing photoelectric surface, method for manufacturing secondary electron emission surface, and method for manufacturing electron tube
US7772771B2 (en) * 2003-01-17 2010-08-10 Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. Alkali metal generating agent, alkali metal generator, photoelectric surface, secondary electron emission surface, electron tube, method for manufacturing photoelectric surface, method for manufacturing secondary electron emission surface, and method for manufacturing electron tube

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1256808B (de) 1967-12-21
DK120403B (da) 1971-05-24
AT255506B (de) 1967-07-10
CH441527A (de) 1967-08-15
NL147572B (nl) 1975-10-15
BE673078A (de) 1966-05-31
ES320158A1 (es) 1966-04-16
GB1086228A (en) 1967-10-04
SE325968B (de) 1970-07-13
NL6413961A (de) 1966-06-03

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