Removal of organic contaminants from electron devices

In modern electron tubes thermionic activity, stability and life are correlated with freedom from contaminants. Consequently, there is great interest in removing contaminants from tube structures. Organic contaminants fall into two general groups: those which show preferred orientation of the monolayer in contact with a surface and those which do not exhibit this phenomenon. This paper discusses the origin of each type of contaminant and some ways in which they may influence electron tube behavior. The major emphasis is focused on the firmly bound contaminants. It is considered that removal of this type of material represents the ultimate practical stage of tube component preparation with respect to surface contaminants.