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The evolution of oxide cathodes for cathode ray tube applications

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Abstract

The oxide cathode is probably the most widely used electron emitter in vacuum electronic devices and is still in use today. This paper reviews the evolution of the theories and technology of the oxide cathode from its origins in 1904 up to the present day. The paper illustrates how the theories have changed with advances in analytical techniques and how the performance of oxide cathodes has developed in response to the demands of the cathode ray tube (CRT) industry. By manipulation of the interface between the oxide coating and the cathode cap and by varying the composition of the coating itself, the oxide cathode has continued to evolve for over 100 years and remains the predominant technology in the cathode ray tube industry.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council UK (EPSRC) for funding of studies and to Dr. M.A. Baker, Dr M.J. Whiting (University of Surrey), Dr. S.N.B. Hodgson (Loughborough University) and Professor A.K. Ray (Queen Mary College University of London) for their contributions to the results reported herein.

Additional thanks are due to Professor D. den Engelsen (LG.Philips Displays—Eindhoven) and Dr. G. Gaertner (Philips Research Laboratories Aachen) for their invaluable contributions to the field of cathode research and development and to the evolution and refinement of the theories underlying the subject.

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Correspondence to D. S. Barratt.

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Barratt, D.S., Jenkins, S.N. The evolution of oxide cathodes for cathode ray tube applications. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 17, 735–743 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-006-0020-5

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