METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PRODUCING OPTICAL RADIATION Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: optical radiation sources for microelectronics, medicine, lighting equipment production, and other industries. SUBSTANCE: electrons are produced due to their emission from cathode surface, and radiation is excited due to acceleration of electrons in gas gap by voltage between cathode and anode to energy higher than excitation energy of gas radiating levels but lower than self-maintained discharge firing voltage. Choosing voltage below gas ionization potential will make it possible to practically eliminate ionization so that essential part of inserted energy will be used for exciting radiating states of gas. Device implementing proposed method has chamber formed by radiating gas with at least two opposing electrodes, cathode and anode; at least electrode surface that carries electrodes or electrode surface and surface of electrodes proper are transparent for radiation. Novelty is that radiating gas pressure depends on electrode-to-electrode distance chosen in the order of electron track energy length. Cathode can be made in the form of thermionic cathode, photocathode, and autoemission cathode. EFFECT: enhanced brightness of optical radiation sources at low supply voltage. 10 cl, 1 dwg