Amray Inc.

Philip R Rigg

An electron-beam scanning device (10) includes two pairs of plates (22 and 24, 64 and 66) that are oriented at right angles to each other. The plates cause electric fields oriented at right angles in a deflection region (68) through which an electron beam passes. Each pair of plates comprises the inner conductor and one of the outer conductors of a stripline section that conducts a deflection signal. The stripline section is matched in characteristic impedance to the coaxial cable by which the deflection signal is transmitted to the plates. A stop plate (28) ordinarily prevents the electron beam from reaching its target (30) but has an aperture (26) into which the beam can be momentarily deflected to cause a pulse of beam current to hit the target (30). When an electron-beam pulse is to be generated, one of the plate pairs applies an electric field pulse in which the field changes from its quiescent value, in which it deflects the beam to one side of the aperture (26), to a pulse value, in which it deflects the beam to the other side of the aperture (26), deflecting the beam into the aperture (26) in the process. After the field imposed by the first plate pair reaches its pulse value, the second plate pair applies a field that keeps the beam from passing through the aperture when the field from the first plate pair returns to its normal value.

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Philip R Rigg