Patent ID: 8633451

Claim:
A field emission charged particle source, comprising: an outer structure mounted to a carrying structure being at environmental temperature, the outer structure comprising a material having a thermal conductivity; an intermediate structure mounted to the outer structure, the intermediate structure comprising a material having a thermal conductivity; an inner structure mounted to the intermediate structure, the inner structure comprising a material having a thermal conductivity; a charged particle field emitter mounted to the inner structure; and a cooling device thermally connected to the intermediate structure, wherein: the outer structure comprises a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the material of the inner structure, and/or the material of the intermediate structure has a thermal conductivity that is larger than 1.5 times the thermal conductivity of the material of the outer structure; the cooling device is thermally connected to the intermediate structure along a first bundle of thermally conducting, flexible wires; and the cooling device is connected to the intermediate structure along a second bundle of flexible wires and along one or more rigid rods.