PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE OF ACTIVE ELEMENT OF GAS LASER WITH COLD CATHODE Russian patent published in 1994 - IPC

FIELD: gas discharge equipment, microelectronics. SUBSTANCE: process includes assembly, welding, brazing of optical units, thermal oxidation of cathode in oxygen, evacuation of volume and filling of it up with working gas. Before assembly of active element cathode is subjected to annealing in vacuum under pressure not below than 5·10^-5 mm Hg and temperature from 400 to 450 C for the course of 3-5 hours. In addition prior to oxidation of cathode made of aluminium alloy AD-1 active element is pumped out to pressure not less than 5·10^-5 mm Hg, is heated to 300-400 C and is filled with oxygen. Essentially proposed process amounts to method of curing of defective sections of cathode surface with the aid of thermal diffusion surface migration of aluminium not employed before which grows markedly with annealing of cathodes produced from aluminium alloy AD-1 in vacuum as low as 5·10^-5 mm Hg within temperature internal from 400 to 450 C. Apart from this proposed uses effect of decrease of concentration of silicon in surface layer of cathodes with their heating in vacuum at 300-400 C not used before which provides for manufacture of homogeneous defect-free protective oxide coating of cathode and prolongs operational life of cathodes and active elements. EFFECT: facilitated manufacture, prolonged operational life of cathodes and active elements. 3 dwg