Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. An electron beam emitter comprising:an electron generator for generating electrons, the electron generator having a housing containing at least one elongate electron source for generating the electrons, the at least one elongate electron source having a width, the electron generator housing having an electron permeable region spaced from the at least one elongate electron source for allowing extraction of the electrons from the electron generator housing, the electron permeable region including a series of narrow elongate slots and ribs formed in the electron generator housing at an acute angle relative to the elongate electron source, the electron permeable region configured and positioned relative to the at least one elongate electron source for laterally spreading the electrons that are generated by the at least one elongate electron source such that the spread of the electrons exiting the electron permeable region is wider than the at least one elongate electron source. 2. The emitter of claim 1 in which the slots are at an angle ranging from about 30° to 90° relative to the elongate electron source. 3. The emitter of claim 1 in which the slots are about ⅛ to 3/16 inches wide and the ribs are about 0.030 to 0.040 inches wide. 4. The emitter of claim 3 in which the electron permeable region has an elongate length and a width, the length of the electron permeable region having a longitudinal axis, the slots being positioned on a pitch of about ¼ inches relative to the longitudinal axis. 5. The emitter of claim 1 in which the electron permeable region includes first and second rows of slots, the slots of the first row being angled relative to the slots of the second row. 6. The emitter of claim 1 in which the electron generator housing is made of sheet metal and has a planar portion, the electron permeable region being integrally formed within the planar portion. 7. The emitter of claim 1 in which the electron permeable region has a slot width to rib width ratio of about 3 to 1 to about 6 to 1. 8. The emitter of claim 1 further comprising a vacuum chamber having an electron beam exit window, the electron generator being positioned within the vacuum chamber and spaced from the exit window for accelerating the electrons out the exit window. 9. The emitter of claim 8 in which the slots and ribs of the electron permeable region are configured to allow an electrical field extending between the electron generator housing and the exit window to penetrate into the electron generator housing through each slot and laterally relative to the at least one elongate electron source to form a transverse electrical field region surrounding the at least one elongate electron source for laterally spreading the electrons relative to the at least one elongate electron source. 10. The emitter of claim 8 in which the exit window includes a support plate supporting an exit window foil, the support plate having a series of holes angled outwardly moving towards two opposite ends. 11. An electron beam emitter comprising:a vacuum chamber having an electron beam exit window; andan electron generator for generating electrons for acceleration out the exit window, the electron generator being positioned within the vacuum chamber and spaced from the exit window, the electron generator having a housing containing at least one elongate electron source for generating the electrons, the at least one elongate electron source having a width, the electron generator housing having an electron permeable region spaced from the at least one elongate electron source for allowing extraction of the electrons from the electron generator housing, the electron permeable region including a series of narrow elongate slots and ribs integrally formed in a planar sheet metal portion of the electron generator housing at an acute angle relative to the elongate electron source, the slots and ribs of the electron permeable region being configured to allow an electrical field extending between the electron generator housing and the exit window to penetrate into the electron generator housing through each slot and laterally relative to the at least one elongate electron source to form a transverse electrical field region surrounding the at least one elongate electron source for laterally spreading the electrons relative to the at least one elongate electron source before extraction from the electron generator housing such that the spread of the electrons exiting the electron permeable region is wider than the at least one elongate electron source. 12. The emitter of claim 11 in which the slots are at an angle ranging from about 30° to 90° relative to the elongate electron source. 13. The emitter of claim 11 in which the slots are about ⅛ to 3/16 inches wide and the ribs are about 0.030 to 0.040 inches wide. 14. The emitter of claim 13 in which the electron permeable region has an elongate length and a width, the length of the electron permeable region having a longitudinal axis, the slots being positioned on a pitch of about ¼ inches relative to the longitudinal axis. 15. The emitter of claim 11 in which the electron permeable region includes first and second rows of slots, the slots of the first row being angled relative to the slots of the second row. 16. The emitter of claim 11 in which the electron permeable region has a slot width to rib width ratio of about 3 to 1 to about 6 to 1. 17. The emitter of claim 11 in which the exit window includes a support plate supporting an exit window foil, the support plate having a series of holes therethrough for allowing passage of the electrons, the holes being continuously angled outwardly moving towards two opposite ends. 18. A method of dispersing electrons in an electron beam emitter comprising:generating the electrons with an electron generator, the electron generator having a housing containing at least one elongate electron source for generating the electrons, the at least one elongate electron source having a width, the electron generator housing having an electron permeable region spaced from the at least one elongate electron source for allowing extraction of the electrons from the electron generator housing; andconfiguring and positioning the electron permeable region relative to the at least one elongate electron source for laterally spreading the electrons that are generated by the at least one elongate electron source, the electron permeable region including a series of narrow elongate slots and ribs formed in the electron generator housing at an acute angle relative to the elongate electron source, wherein the spread of the electrons exiting the electron permeable region is wider than the at least one elongate electron source. 19. The method of claim 18 further comprising positioning the slots at an angle ranging from about 30° to 90° relative to the elongate electron source. 20. The method of claim 18 further comprising forming the slots to be about ⅛ to 3/16 inches wide and the ribs to be about 0.030 to 0.040 inches wide. 21. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing the electron permeable region with an elongate length and a width, the length of the electron permeable region having a longitudinal axis, the slots being positioned on a pitch of about ¼ inches relative to the longitudinal axis. 22. The method of claim 18 further comprising providing the electron permeable region with first and second rows of slots, the slots of the first row being angled relative to the slots of the second row. 23. The method of claim 18 further comprising forming the electron generator housing from sheet metal and with a planar portion, the electron permeable region being integrally formed within the planar portion. 24. The method of claim 18 further comprising providing the electron permeable region with a slot width to rib width ratio of about 3 to 1 to about 6 to 1. 25. The method of claim 18 further comprising:positioning the electron generator within a vacuum chamber having an electron beam exit window, the electron generator being spaced from the exit window; andextracting the electrons from the electron generator housing and accelerating the electrons out the exit window. 26. The method of claim 25 further comprising configuring the slots and ribs of the electron permeable region to allow an electrical field extending between the electron generator housing and the exit window to penetrate into the electron generator housing through each slot and laterally relative to the at least one elongate electron source to form a transverse electrical field region surrounding the at least one elongate electron source for laterally spreading the electrons relative to the at least one elongate electron source. 27. The method of claim 25 in which the exit window includes a support plate supporting an exit window foil, the method further comprising providing the support plate with a series of holes therethrough for allowing passage of the electrons in which the holes are continuously angled outwardly moving towards two opposite ends for matching trajectories of the electrons. 28. A method of irradiating a product with an electron beam emitter comprising:generating electrons with an electron generator, the electron generator having a housing containing at least one elongate electron source for generating the electrons, the at least one elongate electron source having a width, the electron generator housing having an electron permeable region spaced from the at least one elongate electron source for allowing extraction of the electrons from the electron generator housing, the electron permeable region including a series of narrow elongate slots and ribs formed in the electron generator housing at an acute angle relative to the elongate electron source, the electron permeable region configured and positioned relative to the at least one elongate electron source for laterally spreading the electrons that are generated by the at least one elongate electron source; andmoving the product and the electron beam emitter relative to each other at an acute angle relative to the slots and ribs of the electron permeable region for irradiating the product with the electrons.