Patent ID: 7671687

Claim:
A method of amplifying a deflection signal made of one or more voltage signals, the method comprising: emitting a plurality of electron beamlets from an array of electron guns such that the beamlets traverse an electron transmission pathway through an evacuated drift cavity defined by an emission wall and a detector wall, each electron beamlet having a corresponding beamlet deflector operably positioned for deflection of the electron beamlet in the drift cavity, operating the beamlet deflectors to deflect the respective electron beamlets according to receipt of a deflection signal such that an aggregate of emitted beamlets forms an electron beam positioned relative to the transmission pathway, the electron beam forms a beam spot on the detector wall where in a quiescent state of the deflection signal the electron beam is transmitted on the transmission pathway in a non-deflected mode, and in a non-quiescent state of the deflection signal the electron beam deflector deflects the electron beam in a swept mode of sweeping action that moves the beam spot along a sweep pathway at the detector wall; and generating an output current by interaction of the electron beam and a detector forming one or more areas on the detector wall.