Fabrication of a compact glass-sealed x-ray tube with carbon nanotube cold cathode for high-resolution imaging

A glass-sealed x-ray tube with field emission electron sources has been fabricated using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grown on a silicon substrate by direct current plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Here, the authors report on the fabrication of CNT-based emitters, the field emission characteristics of these emitters, and the properties of the glass-sealed x-ray tube. The field emission produced a current of 5 mA with an electron transmission rate of 91.1% in a high-vacuum chamber. The glass-sealed x-ray tube had a conventional design and comprised a reflection anode, an evaporation getter, and a vacuum-sealed glass tube without additional focusing electrode requirements for ease of commercialization. Using this x-ray tube, the authors obtained x-ray images of objects, including a human finger and a commercial universal serial bus (USB) flash drive. The x-ray image allowed a 100 mu m metal wire to be distinguished in the USB flash drive. The x-ray images were obtained at a dose rate of 1944 mrad/h, which represents a relatively low dose. The grown CNT emitters showed stable field emission after electrical aging. These CNT-based glass-sealed x-ray tubes are expected to become a platform for the fabrication of medical and dental x-ray systems. Published by the AVS.