Focusing performance and thermal property of carbon-nanotube emitter-based X-ray sources

Carbon-nanotube (CNT) emitter-based X-ray sources have been extensively investigated as new imaging devices. The electron-beam trajectory in the CNT emitter-based X-ray sources were simulated to determine the optimized conditions for high focusing performance and limited thermal damage to the anode. The beam trajectory from the cathode to the anode was simulated, and the focal spot size (FSS) of the beam was determined by varying the structure of the electrode in the X-ray system. The temperature change of the anode caused by the electron-beam was calculated. The effects of electrode voltage and of the distance between the electrode and the anode on the FSS were significant while the effect of electrode thickness was small in all structures. When the electron-beam was emitted with an FSS of 170 μm and a power of 130 W, the thermal damage to the anode was reduced by using a 2-ms pulsed-voltage operation for a duration of 8 ms.