Feedback multiplier flat-panel television: I—System design

A large, flat television display tube, based on electron beam/phosphor technology, is described. The electron source used in the display is a recently developed type of cold cathode: the positive-feedback electron multiplier. The description of the display includes, first, a general overview of the entire system design and, second, a detailed description of the designs and tests of the beam-processing elements in the tube. While this display is still in the experimental stages and no large tubes have been constructed, several small-scale devices were made and tested. The results indicate that feedback multiplier technology is compatible with the requirements of a 30 in by 40 in television display in the key areas of electron optics, device fabrication, and circuitry that were investigated in this work.