Multilayer vacuum electronic devices and manufacturing methods

Abstract

A method for manufacturing vacuum electronic devices (VEDs) in which multiple two-dimensional layers made of various materials are joined together to form one or more VEDs simultaneously, wherein the two-dimensional material layers are machined to include features necessary for device operation so that they form three-dimensional features when assembled and joined to form a three-dimensional structure. The two-dimensional layers are joined together to form a sandwich-like structure. [Effects] This manufacturing process makes it possible to incorporate the metallic, magnetic, ceramic, and other materials required for VED fabrication while maintaining the necessary positional accuracy and a large number of devices per batch.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - reference to related applications) This application claims the benefit of priority based on (1) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 198,817, filed on November 15, 2020, in the name of inventor Diana Gamzina Daugherty, titled "Multi - layered multi - material manufacturing process for vacuum electronic devices", which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein, and (2) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 198,915, filed on November 21, 2020, in the name of inventor Diana Gamzina Daugherty, titled "Electronic magneto - electrostatic sensing, focusing, and steering of electron beams in microwave, millimeter wave, and near - terahertz vacuum electronic devices", which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

[0002] This application similarly claims priority based on (1) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 198,817, filed on November 15, 2020, in the name of inventor Diana Gamzina Daugherty and shared herein, and (2) another patent application filed on November 12, 2020, titled "Electronic magneto-electrostatic sensing, focusing, and steering of electron beams in microwave, millimeter wave, and near-terahertz vacuum electronic devices," in the name of inventor Diana Gamzina Daugherty and shared herein, filed on November 21, 2020. This may be considered to be related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 525,698, entitled “Magneto-Electrostatic Sensing, Focusing, and Steering of Electron Beams in Vacuum Electron Devices,” which is shared with this specification under the name of Gamzina Daugherty. The contents of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 525,698 are incorporated herein by reference as if they were entirely contained herein. [Background technology]

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to a manufacturing process used to produce a vacuum electron device (VED) having multiple two-dimensional layers of various materials that are joined together to form one or more VEDs simultaneously. The two-dimensional material layers are machined to include features necessary for device operation so that they form three-dimensional features when assembled and joined to form a three-dimensional structure. The two-dimensional layers are joined together to form a sandwich-like structure. This manufacturing process makes it possible to incorporate metallic, magnetic, ceramic, and other materials required for VED fabrication while maintaining the required positional accuracy and a large number of devices per batch.

[0004] Vacuum electron devices (VEDs) operate in a vacuum environment and utilize the interaction between one or more electron beams and an electromagnetic field generated within the VED's interaction region. Constructing a VED requires incorporating metallic, magnetic, or other materials into a single assembly that may be held in or sealed in a vacuum so as not to obstruct the passage of electrons from the cathode (electron emitter) to the collector (electron acceptor) of the vacuum electron device. The vacuum region, also known as a vacuum chamber, cavity, tunnel (electron beam tunnel), or RF interaction region, is where the interaction between one or more electron beams and one or more electromagnetic waves takes place. Examples of such conventional VEDs include (but are not limited to) particle accelerators, klystrons, gyrotrons, gyroklystrons, gyroamplifiers, traveling wave tubes (TWTs), gyroTWTs, backward wave oscillators, inductive output tubes (IOTS), magnetrons, cross-field amplifiers, free electron lasers, ubitrons, masers, diodes, triodes, tetrodes, and pentodes. Some gas-ion lasers operate at very low pressures rather than strictly in a vacuum and generally lack an RF interaction region, but operate in much the same way. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 198,817 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 198,915 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 525,698 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Conventional VEDs were generally manufactured by using individual two- and three-dimensional sub-components, forming them into assemblies, joining the assemblies to an outer perimeter to provide structural supports and a vacuum outer perimeter, and then performing conventional vacuum processing and sealing procedures to produce a functional VED. Such procedures, depending on the complexity of the device, could take several weeks or more to complete a single device, and required many highly skilled workers and large cleanrooms to perform the procedures. Today, with the explosive growth in demand for wireless broadband data communications from ground stations to satellites, to base stations and local Wi-Fi systems and ground backbone systems, there is a considerable need for cheaper, mass-produced devices of this nature. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The subject matter described herein generally relates to the manufacturing of three-dimensional vacuum electronic devices (VEDs) using parallel sheets of material assembled in a layered structure and joined together. The advantage of this approach is that multiple VEDs can be manufactured simultaneously with the same structure and, much like in semiconductor device fabrication, can be easily separated for individual use upon completion, resulting in a significant reduction in manufacturing costs per device.

[0008] The above summary is a summary and, as a result, may include simplifications, generalizations, and omissions of details. Consequently, those skilled in the art will recognize that the summary is illustrative and not intended to be limiting.

[0009] The accompanying drawings incorporated herein and constituting part thereof illustrate one or more representative embodiments and are useful in illustrating the principles and implementations of the present invention together with descriptions of the representative embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is an exploded perspective view of a multilayer multi-material assembly for a VED according to one embodiment, which incorporates a conductive magnetic material layer while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction. [Figure 2] This is an exploded perspective view of a multilayer multi-material assembly for a VED according to another embodiment, which incorporates not only a conductive magnetic material layer but also an insulating layer while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction. [Figure 3] This is a perspective cross-sectional view of a multilayer multi-material assembly for a VED that incorporates a conductive magnetic material layer while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction. [Figure 4] This is a top plan view of a series of three multilayer multi-material assemblies for VEDs that incorporate conductive magnetic material layers while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction. [Figure 5] A cross-sectional view obtained along line 5-5 in Figure 4 illustrates the internal structure of a single multilayer multi-material assembly for a VED, incorporating a conductive magnetic material layer while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction. [Figure 6] This is a top plan view of a series of three multilayer multi-material assemblies for VEDs that incorporate conductive magnetic material layers while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction. [Figure 7]A cross-sectional view obtained along line 7-7 in Figure 6 illustrates the internal structure of a single multilayer multi-material assembly for a VED, incorporating a conductive magnetic material layer while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction. [Figure 8] This is a top plan view of a series of three multilayer multimaterial assemblies for VEDs that incorporate conductive magnetic material layers while creating three-dimensional apertures for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction. The figure shows the assemblies after gaps have been carved or otherwise created between the substrate assemblies and the individual VEDs. [Figure 9] A cross-sectional view obtained along line 9-9 in Figure 8 illustrates the internal structure of a single multilayer multi-material assembly for a VED, incorporating a conductive magnetic material layer while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction. [Figure 10] This flowchart illustrates a process or method for manufacturing a vacuum electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] This specification describes representative embodiments of VEDs such as TWTs (commonly used for RF signal amplification in broadband data communication systems). Those skilled in the art will recognize that the following descriptions are representative only and are not intended to be limiting. Other embodiments will readily come to mind for those skilled in the art who are interested in this disclosure. The following references detail the implementations of representative embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. To the extent possible, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar items.

[0012] For clarity, not all of the generic features of the implementations described herein will be shown and described. Of course, in developing any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's particular goals, such as complying with application area-related and business-related constraints, and these particular goals will vary for each implementation and for each developer. Moreover, such development efforts can be complex and time-consuming, but will nevertheless be recognized as routine work for a person skilled in the art who benefits from this disclosure.

[0013] References herein to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment", or "one implementation" or "an implementation", etc., mean that a particular feature, structure, part, function, or characteristic described in connection with a representative embodiment may be included in at least one representative embodiment. The appearances of phrases such as "in one embodiment" or "in one implementation" at different places within the scope of this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or implementation, nor are they necessarily mutually exclusive alternative embodiments excluding other embodiments.

[0014] According to the present disclosure, the components and process steps described herein may be implemented using a variety of techniques without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

[0015] This specification includes examples of embodiments of the invention. Naturally, it is impossible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for the purpose of describing the claimed subject matter, but it should be recognized that other combinations and substitutions of the innovation of the subject matter are further possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to encompass all such alternative forms, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, the above descriptions of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure of the subject matter, including those described in the abstract, are not intended to be exclusive or to limit the disclosed embodiments to the very forms disclosed. While specific embodiments, examples, and implementations are described herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications are possible that, as those skilled in the art will recognize, would fall within the scope of such embodiments and examples.

[0016] More specifically, with respect to the various functions performed by the components, devices, systems, etc. described above, the terms used to describe such components are intended to correspond to any component (e.g., a functional equivalent) that performs a specified function of the component described, even if it is not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure that performs the function in a representative manner illustrated herein for the claimed subject matter, unless otherwise specified.

[0017] In addition, while certain features of the present invention have been disclosed in relation to only one of several implementations, such features may be combined with one or more other features of other implementations that may be desirable or advantageous in any given field of application or a particular field of application. Furthermore, the terms “includes,” “including,” “has,” “contains,” their variations, and other similar terms are intended to be comprehensive in a manner similar to the term “comprising,” as non-exclusive transitional terms without excluding any additional or other elements, to the extent that they are used in the detailed description and claims.

[0018] Moreover, the terms "example" or "representative" are used in this specification to mean serving as an example, illustration, or exemplification. Any embodiment or design described as "representative" in this specification should not necessarily be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the terms "example" or "representative" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. As used in this application, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or". That is, unless otherwise specified or clear from the context, "X uses A or B" is intended to mean any natural inclusive substitution. That is, "X uses A or B" is satisfied under any of the foregoing examples when X uses A, X uses B, or X uses both A and B. In addition, the articles "a" and "an", when used in this application and the appended claims, should generally be construed to mean "one or more" unless otherwise specified or clear from the context to imply the singular form.

[0019] In the figures, when callout numbers or reference symbols are used in two or more figures, they are intended to refer to the same, or similar, parts, components, or steps unless clearly intended otherwise from the context of the present disclosure.

[0020] The devices and methods described herein can be used for VEDs that utilize pencil beams, sheet beams, rectangular beams, elliptical beams, hollow beams, dispersed beams, and multiple beams.

[0021] Much of the following description deals with constructing a VED in the form of a layer of plates aligned parallel to the electron beam from below to above the electron beam, but it is intended that such a device may also be constructed perpendicular to the electron beam by the relatively simple methods shown herein. Such a device may also be constructed at any angle to the electron beam, for example, as a dispersion beam device, if desired.

[0022] A key benefit of the present invention is its ability to enable the simultaneous fabrication of multiple VEDs in a single batch, and then the cutting of these multiple VEDs into individual components, although it has been proven that even fabricating a single prototype device using this invention is far more cost-effective than prior art.

[0023] Typically, magnets are used in VEDs to provide at least some of the functions of electron beam formation and aiming. If the electron beam is not properly guided from the cathode to the collector, it may collide with some other part of the VED structure, causing damage and contamination of the vacuum area. The ability to incorporate various types of magnet materials is beneficial in the assembly of VEDs. Halbach, or quadrupole array, is often used to focus the electron beam because it introduces a solenoid around the electron beam at some distance from the beam. Another important benefit of the present invention lies in its ability to provide a higher intensity magnetic field at the electron beam with respect to a given magnet (of an electromagnetic solenoid or fixed) because the present invention allows the magnet to be brought much closer to the electron beam without placing the magnet inside the vacuum chamber. Since the magnetic field obtained from a magnet decreases with the square of the distance from the magnet, the magnet can be brought closer, and as a result, the magnet can be made smaller by the present invention. Magnetic steering can be achieved not only with actual magnets, but also with combinations of magnetically sensitive materials and magnets, which, in conjunction with magnets, establish a desired magnetic field within the VED to properly steer the electron beam. Since magnetic materials and / or materials containing iron and nickel are not good conductors, electromagnetic circuits are typically made from materials such as copper (or tungsten for helical-type devices) to move the focusing structure far from the electron beam. Magnets, and / or materials containing iron and nickel, can be electroplated with highly conductive materials such as copper, which can be used to mitigate this problem; however, such arrangements may create a potential vacuum purity problem with respect to the VED, as such materials may degrade over time within the VED. It is possible to use vacuum double molten iron with high quality nickel plating inside the vacuum outer perimeter. In most cases (since permanent magnets lose their magnetism by heating them above their Curie point), permanent magnet materials such as SmCo and NbFeB must be added outside the vacuum outer perimeter, and such materials must be fixed in place using low-temperature bonding techniques (adhesives or solid ultrasound).

[0024] In one embodiment, magnets may be added to the circuit of the present invention as follows: To bond copper sheets together to create (for example) a TWT circuit, each sheet is sputter-coated with a layer of gold or silver several hundred nanometers thick and then bonded to adjacent layers in a hydrogen furnace at approximately 50 pounds of force and approximately 1000°C, or in fixtures that hold the layers in place. To add a magnetic assembly to a layered copper circuit assembly, one or more (vacuum double-molten) iron or stainless steel layers may be nickel-plated in pockets for the magnet pieces, and copper-gold or copper-silver brazing shims (approximately 25 microns thick) may be used to create the brazing joint. The iron / stainless steel layer is brazed to the copper circuit assembly in this case, but remains outside the vacuum area of ​​the VED by the brazing shim. The magnet pieces are then inserted into pre-fabricated pockets within the assembly, and another layer of material is added across the entire surface of the magnet and fixed using a low-temperature adhesive to hold the magnet in place.

[0025] Electrostatic focusing may also be used in a VED to provide some of the functions of electron beam formation and aiming. In this case, the ability of the present invention to introduce a conductor into a vacuum structure allows for precise electrostatic focusing within the vacuum structure by applying a voltage across both ends of two or more plates positioned around the electron beam. Several sets of such plates may be used, as desired or required in a particular application field.

[0026] The manufacturing approach described herein can be used to manufacture VEDs at various frequencies, but is particularly beneficial for VEDs operating between approximately 25 GHz and 1 THz. Manufacturing such devices using conventional manual device assemblies is difficult due to the small feature scale (sometimes ranging from micrometers to millimeters).

[0027] Next, looking at the figures, Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a multilayer multi-material assembly for a VED according to one embodiment, which incorporates a conductive magnetic material layer while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction.

[0028] In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the VED 100 comprises an assembly 101 having a first planar non-magnetic conductive plate 102 formed from a conductive material such as copper, a second planar non-magnetic conductive plate 104 formed from a conductive material such as copper, and a plurality of planar non-magnetic interaction structure forming plates 106a, 106b, and 106c disposed between the first planar non-magnetic conductive plate 102 and the second planar non-magnetic conductive plate 104. If an external fixed magnetic field is to be used for electron beam control, the assembly 101 may be positioned facing a first planar magnetic plate formed from a magnetic material such as iron or nickel, and one or more permanent magnets, including those placed on or embedded within it. Alternatively, a sandwich structure may be formed from two such plates 108 and 110 so that the assembly 101 is positioned between a first planar magnetic plate 108 and a second planar magnetic plate 110. Alignment feature 112 (discussed in more detail below) may be provided to offer a simple mechanism for aligning multiple parallel plates. Furthermore, the magnet layer is intended to comprise solid planar permanent magnets rather than being made from multiple smaller magnets. This approach allows for planar "solenoid field" magnetic field focusing. Where desired, the conductive plates may be coated on one or both sides with a vacuum-suitable insulator, such as sputtered alumina (Al2O3) or another conventional insulator that does not release gas into a vacuum environment heated by the presence of an electron beam, in order to create more complex circuits.

[0029] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a multilayer multi-material assembly for a VED according to another embodiment, which incorporates not only a conductive magnetic material layer but also an insulating layer while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction.

[0030] In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the VED200 comprises an assembly 201 having a first planar non-magnetic conductive plate 202 formed from a conductive material such as copper, a second planar non-magnetic conductive plate 204 formed from a conductive material such as copper, and a plurality of planar non-magnetic interaction structure forming plates 206a, 206b, 206c, 206d, and 206e positioned between the first planar non-magnetic conductive plate 202 and the second planar non-magnetic conductive plate 204. If an external fixed magnetic field is to be used for electron beam control, the assembly 201 may be positioned facing a first planar magnetic plate formed from a magnetic material such as iron or nickel, which includes one or more permanent magnets positioned on top of or embedded within it as shown in Figure 1. Alternatively, a sandwich structure may be formed from two such plates 108 and 110 so that the assembly 201 is positioned between a first planar magnetic plate 108 and a second planar magnetic plate 110, as shown in Figure 1. Alignment feature 112 (discussed in more detail below) may be provided to offer a simple mechanism for aligning multiple parallel plates. According to the embodiment in Figure 2, the “inside” of plates 202 and 204 (i.e., the inside labeled 202a and 204a) is coated with an electrical insulator that forms an insulating surface so that the assembly consisting of plates 206a, 206b, 206c, 206d, and 206e can float relative to plates 202 and 204. In this method, the electrostatic field generated by the voltage difference applied across plates 202 and 204 can be used for electron beam control, either in conjunction with or separately from magnetic beam control, as discussed above. In addition, conductors placed on the electrical insulator can deliver current to specific locations within the assembly as desired. For example, such conductors may deliver an RF signal to an interaction region and extract an RF signal from an interaction region. Such conductors may also be used to deliver fixed or fluctuating voltages to control other components within the VED.

[0031] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, a pair of conductors 208a, 208b are placed on an insulating surface 202a. It is not shown that the same arrangement is provided on an insulating surface 204a. The conductors 208a, 208b may be deposited or placed. The conductors 208a, 208b should be suitable for a vacuum environment, i.e., gas should not escape under the high temperatures expected in the VED. Plates 206a and 206e include openings that insulate the corresponding conductors, e.g., 208a, 208b, from the contacts of plates 206a and 206e, as shown. Plates 206b and 206d enclose a lower interaction region 210 and an upper interaction region 212, respectively, and plate 206c encloses an electron beam tunnel 214 surrounded by the lower interaction region 210 and the upper interaction region 212.

[0032] Figure 3 is a transparent cross-sectional view of a multilayer multi-material assembly for a VED that incorporates a conductive magnetic material layer while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction. Figure 3 is essentially a diagram of the structure formed when the components of Figure 2 are joined together as intended.

[0033] Figure 4 is a top plan view of a series of three multilayer multi-material assemblies for VED400 that incorporate conductive magnetic material layers while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction.

[0034] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view obtained along line 5-5 in Figure 4, illustrating the internal structure of a single multilayer multi-material assembly for VED400, which incorporates a conductive magnetic material layer while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction.

[0035] In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the VED 400 comprises an assembly 401 having a first planar nonmagnetic conductive plate 402 formed from a conductive material such as copper, a second planar nonmagnetic conductive plate 404 formed from a conductive material such as copper, and a plurality of planar nonmagnetic interaction structure forming plates 406a, 406b, and 406c positioned between the first planar nonmagnetic conductive plate 402 and the second planar nonmagnetic conductive plate 404. In this embodiment, an external fixed magnetic field should be used to control the electron beam, and therefore the assembly 401 (also known as the “circuit assembly”) is positioned between a first planar magnetic plate 408 formed from a magnetic material such as iron, nickel, etc., and one or more permanent magnets 412, including those positioned on top of or embedded within. Alternatively, a sandwich structure may be formed from two such plates 408 and 410 so that the assembly 401 is positioned between the first planar magnetic plate 408 and the second planar magnetic plate 410. Alignment features (discussed in more detail below) may be provided to offer a simple mechanism for aligning multiple parallel plates during manufacturing.

[0036] Figure 6 is a top plan view of a series of three multilayer multi-material assemblies for VED600 that incorporate conductive magnetic material layers while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction.

[0037] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view obtained along line 7-7 in Figure 6, illustrating the internal structure of a single multilayer multi-material assembly 600 for a VED that incorporates a conductive magnetic material layer while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction.

[0038] In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the VED 600 comprises an assembly 601 having a first planar non-magnetic conductive plate 602 formed from a conductive material such as copper, a second planar non-magnetic conductive plate 604 formed from a conductive material such as copper, and a plurality of planar non-magnetic interaction structure forming plates 606a, 606b, 606c, 606d, and 606e positioned between the first planar non-magnetic conductive plate 602 and the second planar non-magnetic conductive plate 604. In this embodiment, an external fixed magnetic field should be used to control the electron beam, and therefore the assembly 601 (also known as the “circuit assembly”) is positioned facing a first planar magnetic plate 608 formed from a magnetic material such as iron or nickel, and one or more permanent magnets 612, including those positioned on or embedded within it. Alternatively, a sandwich structure may be formed from two such plates 608 and 610 such that assembly 601 is positioned between a first planar magnetic plate 608 and a second planar magnetic plate 610. Alignment feature 112 (discussed in more detail below) may be provided to offer a simple mechanism for aligning multiple parallel plates during fabrication. According to embodiments of Figures 6 and 7, the "inside" of plates 602 and 604 (i.e., the inside labeled 602a and 604a) is coated with an electrical insulator that forms an insulating surface so that the assembly consisting of plates 606a, 606b, 606c, 606d, and 606e can float relative to plates 602 and 604. In this method, the electrostatic field generated by the voltage difference applied across both ends of plates 202 and 204 can be used for electron beam control, either together with or separately from magnetic beam control, as discussed above. Additionally, conductors 614a, 614b, 614c, and 614d, placed on an electrical insulator (as shown in this figure), can deliver current as desired to specific locations within the assembly. For example, such conductors may deliver an RF signal to an interaction region and extract an RF signal from an interaction region. Such conductors may also be used to deliver fixed or fluctuating voltages to control other components within the VED.

[0039] Figure 8 is a top plan view of a series of three multilayer multimaterial assemblies for VED600 that incorporate conductive magnetic material layers while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction. This figure shows the result after the gap 802 has been carved or otherwise created between the substrate assembly 804 and the individual VED 806.

[0040] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view obtained along line 9-9 in Figure 8, illustrating the internal structure of a single multilayer multi-material assembly 800 for VED806, which incorporates a conductive magnetic material layer while creating a three-dimensional aperture for electron beam propagation and electromagnetic wave interaction.

[0041] The gap 802 may be created by cutting with any conventional method suitable for cutting such material, for example, with a laser, high-pressure water, or diamond-tipped saw, or by die-cutting, machining, drilling, or by other means. Once the gap 802 is formed, the individual VED 806 may be removed and individually packaged for use in the conventional manner, as is known to those skilled in the art.

[0042] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process or method 1000 for manufacturing a vacuum electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The process steps described in relation to Figure 10 may be performed sequentially, or some or all may be performed at once.

[0043] Step 1002 is a first step in which a first planar non-magnetic conductive plate is formed from a non-magnetic conductive material.

[0044] Step 1004 is a second step in which a second planar non-magnetic conductive plate is formed from a non-magnetic conductive material.

[0045] Step 1006 is the third step, in which an interaction structure is formed from a plurality of conductive nonmagnetic interaction structure forming plates arranged in parallel to each other, in which a portion of the interaction zone is embedded within each conductive nonmagnetic interaction structure forming plate.

[0046] Step 1008 is the fourth step, in which the first planar non-magnetic conductor plate, the interaction structure, and the second planar non-magnetic conductor plate are arranged in a stacked form such that the first planar non-magnetic conductor plate and the second planar non-magnetic conductor plate are on the outside of the stack.

[0047] Step 1010 is the fifth step, in which the first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate, the interaction structure, and the second planar nonmagnetic conductor plate are joined together.

[0048] Step 1012 is the sixth step, in which a first planar magnetic plate is formed from a magnetic material and at least one magnet is placed on the first planar magnetic plate.

[0049] Step 1014 is the seventh step, in which a first planar magnetic plate is placed parallel to the first planar magnetic conductor plate on the side of the first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate facing the plurality of nonmagnetic interaction structure forming plates.

[0050] Step 1016 is the eighth step, in which the first planar magnetic plate is joined to the first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate.

[0051] Step 1018 is the ninth step, in which a second planar magnetic plate is formed from the magnetic material and at least one magnet is placed on the second planar magnetic plate.

[0052] Step 1020 is the tenth step, in which a second planar magnetic plate is placed parallel to the second planar magnetic conductor plate on the side of the second planar nonmagnetic conductor plate facing the multiple nonmagnetic interaction structure forming plates.

[0053] Step 1022 is the eleventh step, in which a second planar magnetic plate is joined to a second planar non-magnetic conductor plate.

[0054] Those skilled in the art will recognize that these steps can be carried out in the order most suitable for manufacturing and do not need to be performed in a fixed procedure. For example, the joining steps can all be done at once, and the forming steps can be done in advance to produce parts for later assemblies.

[0055] In the step of joining two-dimensional sheets together, processes such as brazing, diffusion bonding, assisted diffusion bonding, solid-state bonding, cold welding, ultrasonic welding, or one or more combinations of the above may be used. The joint formed between two adjacent sheets is 1 × 10 -6 A better vacuum environment than that used for Toll should be maintained. The bonding should be performed in a non-reactive environment such as hydrogen, nitrogen, or vacuum. Before bonding, the corresponding layers should be cleaned or plasma-etched to remove the surface oxide layer, and the corresponding layers should be maintained in a vacuum environment before bonding to aid in the formation of a good leak-proof bond. If necessary, the corresponding layers may be coated (sputtered, electroplated, metallized, and / or painted) with a vacuum-compatible material to enhance the creation of a vacuum-compatible interface between the two corresponding layers (which may be dissimilar materials). The coating may contain one or more of the following: nickel, gold, silver, molybdenum-manganese, copper, copper-gold, copper-silver, titanium-nickel, gold-copper-titanium, copper-silver-titanium, copper-silver-titanium-aluminum, titanium-nickel-copper, gold-copper-titanium-aluminum, silver-copper-indium-titanium, copper-germanium, palladium-nickel-copper-silver, gold-palladium-magnesium, silver-palladium, gold-copper-nickel, gold-copper-indium, silver-copper-indium, gold-nickel, gold-nickel-chromium, etc. In this method, the bonded layers form a high-strength assembly, resulting in a VED with the ability to handle relatively high power and high gradient capabilities.

[0056] The layers may similarly be coated (sputtered, electroplated, metallized, and / or painted) with electrically insulating or conductive materials to manage not only the potential but also the heat flow within the VED. The coating may also include materials designed to conduct heat (e.g., diamond films, diamond conduction channels, heat pipes, etc.) to better manage the heat flow within and away from the VED. The layers may then be fabricated from electrodes and an insulator (e.g., Al2O3) which is plated together with the conduction paths to form electrical paths that bias the electrodes.

[0057] Cutouts or pockets may be formed within the conductive sheet of the VED using techniques such as milling, turning, electrical discharge milling, lithography, etching, laser cutting, electron beam cutting, and water jet cutting. The cutouts or pockets thus formed may be occupied by components such as ceramic material, vacuum windows, circuit cutting material (attenuators used to improve the stability of the device), electron-emitting material, vacuum pumping material, getter material, magnets, iron pieces, shielding material, separation material, conductors, connectors, waveguides, and couplers.

[0058] By incorporating ceramic materials, electrostatic beamforming lenses or regions can be added inside the VED to assist in focusing, propagation, guidance, steering, and ultimately, improving electron beam propagation between the cathode and collector. By integrating this capability within the VED itself, rather than providing it outside the VED's vacuum region, the electron beam can be controlled more precisely and with lower power consumption.

[0059] Aligning adjacent material layers or material sheets within the VED during the manufacturing process may be achieved using alignment features 112. Such features may be alignment holes, alignment pins, rectangular features, combinations thereof, optical (visible) markings suitable for robotic assembly techniques, as discussed elsewhere in this specification. Sheet assembly may be affected by manual assembly, robotic assembly, translational stages, automated translation, robotic placement, micro-scale to nano-scale video alignment, vernier, etc.

[0060] It should be noted that the aforementioned approach makes it possible to construct a VED using purely electrostatic focusing without using any magnets at all.

[0061] While representative embodiments and application fields have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art who are interested in this disclosure that numerous modifications, variations, and adaptations not specifically described above may be made to the various representative embodiments described herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vacuum electronic device, A first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate, A second planar nonmagnetic conductor plate, A plurality of planar nonmagnetic interaction structure forming plates are disposed between the first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate and the second planar nonmagnetic conductor plate. Equipped with, The first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate, the second planar nonmagnetic conductor plate, and the plurality of nonmagnetic interaction structure forming plates are arranged in parallel and joined together, and the plurality of nonmagnetic interaction structure forming plates include an RF interaction region in a vacuum electronic device.

2. The vacuum electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a first planar magnetic plate formed from a magnetic material and having at least one magnet, wherein the first planar magnetic plate is arranged parallel to the first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate on the side of the first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate facing the plurality of nonmagnetic interaction structure forming plates.

3. The vacuum electronic device according to claim 2, further comprising a second planar magnetic plate having at least one magnet formed from a magnetic material, wherein the second planar magnetic plate is arranged parallel to the second planar nonmagnetic conductor plate on the side of the second planar nonmagnetic conductor plate facing the plurality of nonmagnetic interaction structure forming plates.

4. The vacuum electronic device according to claim 2, wherein one or more pockets are formed in the first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate.

5. The vacuum electronic device according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the pockets contains a getter material.

6. The vacuum electronic device according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the pockets contains an electron-emitting material.

7. The vacuum electronic device according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the pockets contains a circuit cutting material.

8. A method for fabricating vacuum electronic devices, The steps include forming a first planar nonmagnetic conductive plate from a nonmagnetic conductive material, The steps include forming a second planar nonmagnetic conductive plate from a nonmagnetic conductive material, The steps include forming an interaction structure in which a portion of the interaction zone is embedded within each of the conductive nonmagnetic interaction structure forming plates, from a plurality of conductive nonmagnetic interaction structure forming plates arranged in parallel to each other, The steps of arranging the first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate, the interaction structure, and the second planar nonmagnetic conductor plate in the form of the stack such that the first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate and the second planar nonmagnetic conductor plate are on the outside of the stack, The steps include joining the first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate, the interaction structure, and the second planar nonmagnetic conductor plate together. A method for providing this.

9. The steps include forming a first planar magnetic plate from a magnetic material and arranging at least one magnet on the first planar magnetic plate, The steps include: arranging the first planar magnetic plate parallel to the first planar magnetic plate on the side of the first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate facing the plurality of nonmagnetic interaction structure forming plates; The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of joining a first planar magnetic plate to a first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate.

11. The steps include forming a second planar magnetic plate from a magnetic material and arranging at least one magnet on the second planar magnetic plate, The steps include: arranging the second planar magnetic plate parallel to the second planar magnetic conductor plate on the side of the second planar nonmagnetic conductor plate facing the plurality of nonmagnetic interaction structure forming plates; The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

12. Step of joining the second planar magnetic plate to the second planar nonmagnetic conductor plate. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of forming one or more pockets formed in the first planar nonmagnetic conductor plate.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of placing a getter material in at least one of the pockets.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of placing an electron-emitting material in at least one of the pockets.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of placing a circuit cutting material in at least one of the pockets.

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