Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.

George A Hambro

Nils Ian Thomas

Richard F Floryan

Warren David Vrescak

Robert A Gallagher

Walter E Blouch

Mark L Oyler

James W Harris

Nelson C Devoe

Stanley J Clower

There is disclosed in a microchannel plate for an image intensifier tube, a fissured material capable of secondary electron emission disposed on a top surface of the microchannel plate. The fissured material has randomized fissures which permit electrons impinging on the material to exhibit increased electron emission along each of the fissures. The fissured material operates as an electron multiplier causing a cascade of electrons for entry into the MCP channels in response to an electron entering a respective one of the fissures. The image intensifier tube includes an evacuated housing with a photo cathode disposed at a first end thereof, and an optic element disposed at a second end thereof. The microchannel plate with the fissured coating on the top surface is disposed in the evacuated housing between the photo cathode and the optic element. There is also disclosed the method of depositing the fissured material onto the microchannel plate comprises placing the MCP in a vacuum, placing the material in a vessel within the vacuum, introducing an inert gas into the vacuum, and evaporating the material onto the surface of the MCP by heating the material to the vapor point, so as to cause the material to be deposited in the fissured configuration.

Method and apparatus for a microchannel plate having a fissured coating

An improved image intensifier tube having electrically operative components that include a photocathode having a photoemissive layer, a microchannel plate having a conductive input surface and a conductive output surface, and a vacuum housing for retaining the photocathode, the microchannel plate and a fiber optic inverter in a predetermined arrangement within an evacuated environment, the fiber optic inverter having a phosphor screen for receiving the electrons emitted by the cathode and converting the electrons into a visual image, the improvement therewith comprising a ring assembly disposed in the housing comprising first and second rings, the first ring being a metallized snap ring conductively contacting the input surface of the microchannel plate for providing electrical contact to and retaining the plate within the housing, the second ring being a metallized ceramic ring having a first chamfered metallized surface in electrical contact with the metallized snap ring and a second metallized surface operable to provide an electrical contact external to the housing; and the fiber optic inverter having a unitarily formed and circumferentially extending flange portion extending toward the housing, wherein a sealing material sealingly engages an inner surface of an output flange with the inverter flange portion to form an air impervious vacuum seal, the output flange supported by the inverter flange portion.

Light weight/small image intensifier tube

Growing community of inventors

Blue Ridge, VA, United States of America

George A Hambro