Application of gated field emitter arrays in microwave amplifier tubes

Summary form only given, as follows. Describes the progress made on the recently begun Phase II of the ARPA/NRL Vacuum Microelectronics Initiative. This program is a team effort between several manufacturers and laboratories, and represents the first major effort to incorporate field emitting cathode arrays into a specifically-designed microwave tube by a manufacturer. Using gated field emitter arrays as the source of a pre-bunched linear electron beam, the program goal is the delivery of a 50 W 10 GHz amplifier having at least 10 dB of gain. An efficiency of at least seventy percent is expected. Along with the elimination of the heater power supply, compactness and light weight are other attributes of the approach proposed. The paper will describe how the three key issues of the program were or will be dealt with. These key issues are survivability in the tube and beam analyzer ambients, tight beam formation, and tube design to meet the performance goals.