A carbon nanotube field emission multipixel x-ray array source for microradiotherapy application

The authors report a carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission multipixel x-ray array source for microradiotherapy for cancer research. The developed multipixel x-ray array source has 50 individually controllable pixels and it has several distinct advantages over other irradiation source including high-temporal resolution (millisecond level), the ability to electronically shape the form, and intensity distribution of the radiation fields. The x-ray array was generated by a CNT cathode array (5×10) chip with electron field emission. A dose rate on the order of >1.2 Gy∕min per x-ray pixel beam is achieved at the center of the irradiated volume. The measured dose rate is in good agreement with the Monte Carlo simulation result.