Patent ID: 8503614
Filing Date: 2013-08-06
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
1. A radiation source comprising: a vacuum chamber; means for injecting an optical wave; a cold source capable of emitting electrons in the vacuum chamber by a phenomenon of field emission when it is subjected to a field; a power supply for delivering a high electrical voltage; an anode including a material capable of emitting X-rays under an effect of electron bombardment; at least one window through which the X-rays exit; and at least one light source delivering said optical wave, wherein the cold source comprises at least one substrate provided with at least one conducting surface and is subjected to an electric field resulting from the high electrical voltage applied between the at least one conducting surface and the anode, said cold source further including at least one photoconductive element in which a current is controlled approximately linearly by an illumination and at least one electron-emitting element, said the at least one photoconductive element being electrically connected in series between the at least one electron-emitting element and the at least one conducting surface, so that a current photogenerated in the at least one photoconductive element is equal to that emitted by the at least one electron emitting element with which it is associated and so that an emitted stream of X-rays is approximately linearly dependent on the illumination.