Asymmetric Microchannel Plate Packing for High Open Area Ratio
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microchannel plate fabrication methods result in a lower open area ratio (OAR) due to symmetric hexagonal packing, leading to broken channel walls and reduced maximum achievable OAR, which limits the performance of image intensifiers.
Innovation Solution
The method involves stacking multifibers in a symmetrical hexagonal configuration with additional single rows of fibers forming triangular shapes at multiboundary regions, maintaining hexagonal close packing and eliminating square pack arrangements, thereby increasing the open area ratio to at least 90%.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If symmetric hexagonal packing is used to stack multifibers, then structural stability is improved, but open area ratio (OAR) is reduced due to square pack arrangements at multiboundary regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by introducing a half-channel shift in alternating rows of the hexagonal packing arrangement. This creates an asymmetric pattern where channels in odd rows are shifted relative to channels in even rows, eliminating the formation of square pack arrangements at multiboundary regions. The asymmetric configuration increases the open area ratio from approximately 78.5% in symmetric packing to over 90% while maintaining structural integrity through the regular alternating pattern.
2Ease of manufacture
If symmetric hexagonal packing is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but channel wall integrity is compromised leading to broken channels
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric half-channel shift pattern prevents channels from aligning directly across row boundaries, eliminating the formation of weak square pack regions where channel walls are prone to breaking. The alternating shift pattern distributes stress more evenly and maintains channel wall integrity throughout the structure while preserving the simplicity of hexagonal stacking for manufacturing.
3Area of stationary object
If additional single rows of fibers are added at multiboundary regions, then open area ratio is increased to at least 90%, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the packing pattern into alternating rows with different offset positions. By dividing the structure into odd and even rows with systematic half-channel shifts, the complexity is managed through a repeating pattern rather than random or irregular arrangements. This segmented approach achieves over 90% open area ratio while maintaining a regular, manufacturable structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the open area ratio, reduces noise figure, and improves signal/noise ratio, while minimizing halo intensity, leading to better performance in image intensifiers.
Implementation Method 1
Core 12 is made of glass material that is etchable in an appropriate etching solution... the cladding glass is a lead-type glass... which has a higher lead content, which renders the cladding non-etchable under the same conditions used for etching the core material
Implementation Method 2
The temperature of the furnace is elevated to the softening temperature of the glass. The rod and tube fuse together and then are drawn into a single fiber
Implementation Method 3
Several thousands of the cut lengths of single fiber 10 are then stacked into a graphite mold and heated at a softening temperature of the glass to form hexagonal array 16
Data Source
AI summary
A boule for making a multichannel plate (MCP) includes (a) at least two sets of rows of fibers, each set arranged to form a hexagonally shaped boundary of fibers, and (b) an additional row of fibers disposed between the two sets of hexagonally shaped boundary of fibers. The additional row of fibers includes a horizontally oriented row of fibers, which is packed on top of a horizontally oriented boundary of fibers. A fiber of the horizontally oriented row of fibers of the boundary is packed adjacent to two consecutive fibers of the additional row of fibers, forming a triangular shape of fibers. The triangular shape of fibers forms a maximum open area ratio (OAR) of at least 90 percent.