Application of gated field emitter arrays in microwave amplifier tubes

This paper describes the progress made on the recently completed Phase II of the ARPA/NRL Vacuum Microelectronics Initiative. This program was 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 prebunched linear electron beam, the program goal was the delivery of a 50 W 10 GHz amplifier having at least 10 dB of gain. An efficiency of at least fifty percent was expected. Along with the elimination of the heater power supply, compactness and light weight are other attributes of the approach proposed.