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Published on: June 27, 2022
Exploring the Potential of a Thermionic LaB6 Virtual Source Mode Electron Gun for a High Angular Current Density and
Ha Rim Lee1, Junhyeok Hwang1, Takashi Ogawa1,2
1Scientific Instruments Performance Evaluation Team, Advanced Instrumentation Institute, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), 267 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113, South Korea.
Lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) electron sources perform best in virtual source mode, achieving significantly higher brightness and stability. This mode offers performance comparable to Schottky sources, unlocking LaB6
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Physics
- Electron Optics
Background:
- Lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) thermionic electron sources offer higher brightness than tungsten but underperform compared to Schottky sources.
- The full potential of LaB6 electron sources remains largely untapped due to operational limitations.
- Optimizing operating conditions is crucial for enhancing LaB6 electron source performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the performance of LaB6 electron sources under various operating conditions.
- To bridge the performance gap between LaB6 and Schottky electron sources.
- To realize the full potential of LaB6 electron sources through optimized operation.
Main Methods:
- Simulations were conducted in virtual source mode to analyze beam brightness and half-angle.
- Electron energy distribution was measured using a prelens retarding field energy analyzer.
- Stability of the virtual source and crossover modes was quantitatively assessed.
Main Results:
- Virtual source mode simulations showed increased beam brightness and reduced beam half-angle with higher extraction voltage, promising a tenfold increase in brightness over crossover mode.
- Measurements in virtual source mode yielded an energy distribution of 0.55 eV and an angular current density of 33 mA/sr.
- Virtual source mode demonstrated superior stability (±0.022%) compared to crossover mode (±0.138%).
Conclusions:
- The virtual source mode of LaB6 electron sources provides a narrow energy distribution comparable to Schottky electron guns.
- LaB6 virtual source mode offers over 2,000 times higher angular current density than Schottky sources.
- Optimized operation in virtual source mode significantly enhances LaB6 electron source capabilities, making them competitive with advanced electron sources.
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