Oxide Cathodes  

e beam, Inc. (formerly FDE, Inc.)

Beaverton, OR

High performance miniature oxide cathodes as electron sources in displays and microwave amplifiers

• Addition of both indium and scandium oxide to normal material enhanced emission and longevity
• Developed a miniature cathode support structure for high volume production that dissipates less than half watt of heater power
• Companies that have purchased various aspects of this technology include Brimar Ltd, L3 Communications, Tektronix, Thomas Electronics, Video Display Corp.

• Cathode support structure and cathode coatings are used in an e-beam system for curing inks and dyes, in CRT’s, and for traveling wave tube (TWT) amplifiers for instrumentation applications
• Various adaptations of prototype resulted in revenues of about $40K per year
• Companies that have purchased various aspects of this technology include Brimar Ltd, Tektronix, Radiant Labs Inc. and Candescent Technologies
 

• Exploratory program is currently replacing cathodes in high power klystrons with this less expensive alternative
  
• NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has used this cathode in high frequency amplifiers in experimental projects
  

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Curator: SBIR Support              11/27/06