The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 02, 2010
Filed:
Sep. 04, 2008
William L. Adams, Powell, OH (US);
William L. Adams, Powell, OH (US);
Thermo Niton Analyzers LLC, Billerica, MA (US);
Abstract
An x-ray source produces a well-defined electron beam, without an undesirable halo. The x-ray source includes a housing, a cathode disposed within the housing, an anode spaced apart from the cathode for accelerating electrons emitted from the cathode and an x-ray emitter target disposed within the housing and spaced apart from the cathode for impact by the accelerated electrons. The cathode includes a passivation layer over only a portion of the area of the cathode, leaving an emission portion of the cathode that is not passivated. The passivation layer reduces or prevents emissions from the passivated portion of the cathode, thereby preventing a halo, which would otherwise be produced by lower-level emissions from the portion of the cathode that surrounds the emission portion of the cathode.