Design and technological peculiarities of making vacuum integrated circuit of a thermocathode-based AC amplifier

Despite promising prospects and comprehensive nature of contemporary studies aimed at developing autoemission cathodes, only thermoemitter-based vacuum integrated circuits (VIC) have been realized by now. Here, the results are presented of building and testing, in extreme environment, thermoemission VICs of a RF active oscillator and multivibrator. The microcircuits made have limited functional capabilities. To expand their capabilities the VIC of an AC amplifier was developed. This paper deals with circuit design aspects of making the AC amplifier based on the potentialities and specific features of the process of anodic oxidation of aluminium to form dielectric substrates of cathode-heating assemblies (CHA) and anode-grid assemblies (AGA). Design and technological methods are described that are used to make active (five vacuum microtriodes) and passive (resistors, capacitors, commutation) film elements. As compared to earlier devices, the AC amplifier VIC is more economical and has better characteristics in terms of miniaturization and integration. Its fundamental peculiarities are two-sided obtained through anodizing to form dielectric substrates with microrelief and superfine-structure grids of microtriodes. Some characteristics of the AC amplifier VIC are given and ways of improving them are discussed.