Patent ID: 11948769
Assignee: APPLIED PHYSICS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 10:
11. A method of manufacturing a thermionic emitter, the method comprising:
forming a monolithic graphite heater, the monolithic graphite heater having first and second electrically conductive arms, each one of the first and second electrically conductive arms having an electrode mount at a proximal end, a thermal apex at a distal end, and a transitional region between the electrode mount and the thermal apex, and the monolithic graphite heater having a cathode mount electrically and mechanically coupling each thermal apex to form a maximum Joule-heating region at or adjacent the cathode mount and decreasing along each transitional region;
mating an electrode to each electrode mount; and
removing material in the cathode mount to define an aperture therein for receiving at least a portion of a thermionic electron cathode.