Patent ID: 9136794
Filing Date: 2015-09-15
Classification: H01J,H01L,H03C

Abstract:
1. An apparatus to modulate electric current, the apparatus comprising: an electron source electrode in a partial vacuum environment, the electron source electrode providing a flow of electrons; an ionizable gas in the partial vacuum environment, at least a portion of the ionizable gas forming ion particles in response to impact with the electrons from the electron source electrode, the ion particles having a positive electric charge; a first bias electrode and a second bias electrode in the partial vacuum environment, the first and second bias electrodes forming an electric field gradient in a path of the flow of electrons in response to application of a bias voltage differential between the first and second bias electrodes, wherein the first bias electrode has a positive voltage and the second bias electrode has a negative voltage; and a collector electrode in the partial vacuum environment, the collector electrode collecting more electrons than ion particles in response to a collector electrode input voltage being above a threshold, and the collector electrode collecting more ion particles than electrons in response to the collector electrode input voltage being below the threshold, wherein the first bias electrode collects at least a portion of the electrons in response to the collector electrode input voltage being below the threshold and the second bias electrode collecting at least a portion of the ion particles in response to the collector electrode input voltage being above the threshold.