The coplanar electron tube
Abstract
Coplanar electron tubes consisting of emitting, controlling and collecting electrodes on a single heated plane have been proposed as a method of achieving high temperature and high radiation resistant devices. In order to design these devices, the scaling laws must be obtained. Using computer techniques it was determined that while the plate current of a device still followed a general three-halves power curve, the effect of electrode areas and electrode spacing are far less pronounced then in multiplanar tubes. A number of auxiliary problems were studied and data was obtained indicating that both alumina and beryllia would be suitable substrates for these devices. Single crystal alumina (sapphire) was found to be satisfactory, but polycrystalline alumina was not, indicating some reaction with active material from the cathode. Polycrystalline beryllia, on the other hand, was satisfactory. A trough strip line was developed for use in a distributed amplifier, power coplanar tetrode, but time did not permit, nor did results warrant, the construction of such a device.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- December 1976
- Bibcode:
- 1976STIN...7726391Z
- Keywords:
-
- Aluminum Oxides;
- Electrodes;
- Electron Tubes;
- Single Crystals;
- Beryllium Oxides;
- Coplanarity;
- Planar Structures;
- Electronics and Electrical Engineering