NZ723276B2 - An x-ray device - Google Patents

Abstract

Example embodiments presented herein are directed towards an x-ray generating device. The device comprises at least one electron emitter (s) (22, 22_1, 22_2, 22_3) which has an electrically conductive substrate (23). The electrically conductive substrate comprises a coating of nanostructures (24). The device further comprises a heating element(21)attachable to each electrically conductive substrate. The device further comprises an electron receiving component (14) configured to receiving electrons emitted from the at least one electron emitter (s). The device also comprises an evacuated enclosure (10) configured to house the at least one electron emitter(s), the heating element and the electron receiving component. The at least one electron emitter (s) is configured for Schottky emission when the heating element is in an on-state and the at least one electron emitter (s) is negatively biased. he device further comprises a heating element(21)attachable to each electrically conductive substrate. The device further comprises an electron receiving component (14) configured to receiving electrons emitted from the at least one electron emitter (s). The device also comprises an evacuated enclosure (10) configured to house the at least one electron emitter(s), the heating element and the electron receiving component. The at least one electron emitter (s) is configured for Schottky emission when the heating element is in an on-state and the at least one electron emitter (s) is negatively biased.

Description

WO 18177 AN X—RAY DEVICE TECHNICAL FIELD Example embodiments presented herein are directed towards an x-ray device which is configured to operation in a Schottky emission mode.

OUND X—ray is generated by the bombardment of tic electrons on a metal surface.

In this setting, an X-ray source is a device comprising 1) an electron emitter known as the cathode and 2) an electron er known as the target or anode. The anode is the x-ray emitter. The cathode and the anode are arranged in a particular configuration, and are enclosed in a vacuum housing. Moreover, an x-ray system may comprise the following components, 1) the x—ray , 2) the computerized manipulation and handling device, 3) the detectors, and 4) the power unit(s). Moreover, in combination with other technology areas, x—ray finds applications in medical imaging, security inspection, and nondestructive testing in industry. Computer technology has revolutionized the use of x—ray in modern society, for example, X-ray CT r (computed tomography). The advancement in detector technology allowed improved energy resolution, digital images and continuously- increasing scan areas. However, the logy for generating x-ray has essentially been the same since the birth of the Coolidge tube for about 100 years ago, when William Coolidge revolutionized the way x—ray was generated by replacing the gas-filled tubes with an evacuated tube housing a hot tungsten filament to e thermionic emission.

SUMMARY s all X-ray tubes used in X-ray imaging utilize hot cathodes of tungsten filaments based on onic emission. In the past decade or so, attempt was made to use carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as cold cathode to generate X-rays by means of field emission. Such electron emission is induced by a high electric field without heating. CNTs are thought as an ideal emitter of electrons. However, to use them in x-ray sources, the manufacture process and work conditions seem to t severe challenge to their material properties. The t output is still well below the level for practical ations. Thus, at least one object of the example embodiments presented herein is to provide an alternative electron emitter, which may provide for ate means of electron emission to overcome the material and operational antages inherent in the hot cathodes as well as in the cold cathode based on CNTs; and consequently brings in superior x-ray s. Furthermore, the example ments presented herein may provide for a portable X-ray device.

Thus, the example embodiments presented herein are directed towards an x-ray device which utilizes a hybrid emission, i.e. field emission or thermally assisted electron emission. More importantly, the example embodiments ted herein utilize a Schottky emission. The use of a thermally assisted electron emission allows for compensation in the properties of the hot and cold cathodes. The benefit of the example embodiments will be clear, when the comparisons are made between the ky emission, the thermionic emission, and the field emission. It is well known that a cold cathode can be poisoned by the adsorption of electronegative elements such as 8, Cl existing as residual gaseous species in the tube. If the adsorption is , the cathode will cease to emit electrons.

For a field emission X-ray tube, the cold cathode can be regenerated by removing the tube from the housing and baking out the entire tube in an oven, and then mount the tube back to see the effect of baking out, cumbersome process. On the other hand, for a Schottky emission tube, the heating resulting in a moderate temperature rise at the cathode assists the on of the electrons while at the same time preventing the adsorption of the poisoning gas atoms or molecules on the cathode. In case the poisoning occurs, the regeneration can be done by heating the cathode ly without removing the tube from the tube housing. The lower power consumption will result in a more compact power source to be utilized, thereby allowing for the x-ray device to become more portable. Furthermore, the use of such electron emission mode eliminates the need for a cooling system or long cool down and warm up periods which are common for hot filament-based systems.

According to the example embodiments presented herein are directed towards an x- ray generating device comprising at least one electron emitter(s) comprising an 3O electrically tive ate. The electrically conductive substrate comprises a g of nanostructures. The x-ray device further comprises a heating element attachable to each electrically tive substrate of the at least one on emitter(s).

The x-ray device further comprises an electron receiving component ured to ing electrons emitted from the at least one electron emitter(s). The x-ray device further comprises an evacuated enclosure configured to house the at least one electron emitter(s), the g t and the electron ing component. The at least one electron emitter(s) is configured for Schottky emission when the heating element is in an on-state and the at least one electron emitter(s) is negatively biased.

In a particular embodiment, the present invention provides an x-ray generating device comprising: at least one electron emitter(s) comprising an electrically conductive ate, wherein the electrically conductive substrate comprises a g of nanostructures; a heating element attachable to each electrically conductive substrate of the at least one electron emitter(s); an electron receiving component configured to ing electrons emitted from the at least one electron emitter(s); and an evacuated enclosure configured to house the at least one electron emitter(s), the heating element and the on receiving component; wherein the at least one electron emitter(s) is configured for ky emission when the heating element is in an on-state and the at least one electron r(s) is negatively biased; the x-ray generating device further comprising an electrical power source configured to control an operational state of the heating element, wherein the electrical power source is further configured to supply a potential difference between the at least one electron emitter(s) and the electron receiving component in three bias modes, (-,0),(-,+) and (0,+).

An example advantage of the above embodiment is the elimination of a cooling system or long cool down and warm up periods which are common for hot filament-based systems which utilize thermionic emission. Thus, a more portable x-ray device may be According to some of the e embodiments, the at least one electron emitter(s) is further configured for field emission when the heating element is in an off-state and the at least one electron generating component(s) is vely biased.

Thus, according to such example embodiments, the x-ray device may be configured for dual ional modes allowing for both field emission and Schottky based emission.

Such an embodiment has the example advantage of providing a versatile device that may provide x-ray images at various resolutions and contrast levels.

According to some of the example embodiments, the x-ray device may further comprise an electrical power source configured to control an operational state of the heating element.

The electrical power source may, for example, l the electron on from the at least one electron emitter(s). Furthermore, according to the example embodiments in which the at least one electron emitter(s) comprises a plurality of electron emitters, the power source may be used to selectively activate the different electron rs. Such an (followed by page 3a) embodiment has the example age of providing a more versatile device in which the separate components of the device may be individually controlled.

According to some of the e embodiments, the electrical power source 28 is r configured to supply a ial difference between the at least one electron generating component(s) and the electron receiving component for a diode tube in three bias modes, (-,0: cathode negative, anode grounded), (-,+: cathode negative, anode positive) and (0,+: cathode grounded, anode positive). The use of such bias modes is provided for inducing the Schottky emission or field emission.

Thus, an example age of such an embodiment is the elimination of a cooling system or long cool down and warm up periods which are common for hot filament-based systems which utilize field emission. Thus, a more portable x-ray device may be obtained.

According to some of the example embodiments, the electrical power source is configured to operate in DC mode, i.e. constant (-, 0), (-, +), (0, +); pulse mode, i.e.

[FOLLOWED BY PAGE 4] square waves with Vp>0 at the anode or Vp<0 at the cathode; or AC mode, Le. a sinus wave.

An example advantage of providing an ical power source with different modes of operations is the ability of ing a more versatile device. For example, in pulse and AC modes, a d rising time, frequency, duty cycle and pulse shape of waveform may be obtained.

According to some of the example embodiments, the electrically conductive ate is made of stainless steel, nickel, nickel based alloys, iron or iron based alloys.

According to some of the example embodiments, the nanostructures are doped or co—doped with a dopant t comprised in column IA, IIA, IB, IIIA, VIA, or VIIA in periodic table of the elements.

According to some of the example embodiments, the nanostructures are made of ZnO.

An e advantage of such embodiments is the ability of providing an alternative to the CNT based electron emitters. The use of such an alternative provides an example benefit of providing an electron emitter which is more compatible with Schottky based emission. Carbon based electron emitters are prone to damage at the temperatures and reactive gaseous environment of typical tube manufacture process. Whereas ZnO and d als are high in melting temperature and chemically more stable with equally attractive field on mance to CNTs.

According to some of the example embodiments, the electron receiving component is made of metal, a metallic alloy, a metallic compound, or a metal ceramic composite.

Some of the example embodiments are directed towards the use of the x—ray generating device described above, in a security x—ray scanning apparatus.

Some of the e embodiments are directed towards the use of the x-ray generating device described above, in a computed tomography scanning apparatus.

Some of the e embodiments are directed towards the use of the x-ray generating device described above, in a C-arm type scanning apparatus.

Some of the example embodiments are directed towards the use of the x-ray 3O generating device bed above, in a geological surveying apparatus.

Some of the example embodiments are directed towards the use of the x-ray generating device described above, in X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of the example embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference ters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the example embodiments. is a schematic of an x-ray device based on thermionic emission; is a schematic of an x-ray, according to the example embodiments described herein; is an illustrative example of an electron emitter with a grid, according to some of the example embodiments bed herein; is an illustrative example of different shapes an electron emitter may have, according to some of the example embodiments described herein; is a schematic of an x—ray device comprising multiple electron emitters, according to some of the example embodiments described herein; and FIGS. 6A and 6B are graphs illustrating the I-V characteristics of the electron rs of according to some of the example embodiments described .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth, such as particular components, elements, techniques, etc. in order to provide a gh understanding of the example embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the example embodiments may be practiced in other manners that depart from these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known methods and ts are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the example embodiments. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of bing the example embodiments and is not intended to limit the embodiments presented herein.

Example embodiments presented herein are directed towards an x—ray device which utilizes Schottky based electron emission. In order to better describe the example embodiments, a m will first be identified and discussed. Figure 1 illustrates a traditional x-ray tube. The x-ray tube of Figure 1 features an evacuated glass tube 10 3O comprising a hot filament e 12 and an anode 14 made of refractory alloy. The surface of the anode 14 faces the cathode 12 at a predetermined inclination angle. An ic current, provided by a power supply 13, passes through the filament cathode 12 causing an increase in the temperature of the filament 12 to a level that emits an electron beam 16 from this nt. The ons of electron beam 16 are then accelerated towards the anode 14 with an ic field. This results in an x-ray beam 18 which is directed out of the device via a window 20. The voltage difference between the cathode and the anode determines the energy of the x-ray beam. s all x-ray tubes used in x-ray g utilizes hot cathodes of tungsten filaments based on thermionic emission. In the past decade or so, attempt was made to use carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as cold cathode to generate X-rays by means of field emission. Such electron emission of is induced by a high electric field t heating.

CNTs are thought as an ideal emitter. However, to use them in x-ray sources, the manufacture process and work ions seem to present severe challenge to their material properties. The current output is still well below the level for practical applications. Thus, at least one object of the e embodiments ted herein is to provide portable X—ray sources with improved mance due to an alternative electron emitter, which may provide for alternate means of electron emission to overcome the material and ional disadvantages inherent in the hot cathodes as well as in the cold cathode based on CNTs. Thus, the example embodiments presented herein are directed towards an x-ray device which utilizes a hybrid emission, field emission or lly assisted emission—Schottky emission. Specifically, the example embodiments presented herein utilize a Schottky based electron emission. The lower power consumption resulted from the hybrid emission will allow for a more compact power source to be utilized, thereby allowing for the x-ray device to become more portable. Furthermore, the use of such electron emission mode eliminates the need for a cooling system or long cool down and warm up s which are common for hot filament-based systems.

Figure 2 illustrates an x-ray device according to the e embodiments. The x- ray device of Figure 2 comprises an evacuated glass tube 10 comprising an electron emitter, or cathode, 22 and an electron receiving component 14. The surface of the electron receiving component 14 faces the electron emitter 22 at a predetermined inclination angle. An ic current, provided by a power supply 28, passes through a heating element 21 g an increase in the temperature of the electron emitter 22 to a level that emits an electron beam 25 from the electron emitter 22. Such emission is known as Schottky emission. In contrast to the electron emission of Figure 1, which is induced 3O with the use of an electrostatic field, the on of Figure 2 is induced via thermal heating.

The electrons of electron beam 25 are then accelerated towards the electron receiving component 14 with an electric field. This results in an x-ray beam 26 which is directed out of the device via a window 20. The voltage difference between the electron emitter and the electron receiving ent determines the energy of the x-ray beam.

The electron emitter 22 comprises an electrically conductive substrate 23 comprising of a coating of nanostructures 24. The heating element 21 is attachable to the electrically conductive substrate 23 via two electric feed-through at cathode end of the tube. The nanostructure coating 24 may be grown on the electrically conductive substrate 23. The nanostructure coating may be in the form of nanoparticles, nanowires, nanorods, nano tetrapods or nanotubes. The materials of the substrate can be stainless steel, nickel, nickel-based alloys, iron or iron-based . According to some of the example embodiments, the substrate is pre-formed into various shapes.

According to some of the example embodiments, a grid 30 is placed in between the surface 23 comprising the nanostructures 24 of on emitter and the electron receiving component 14 that acts as an extraction electrode, as illustrated in Figure 3. According to some of the e embodiments, a spacer 31 is placed between the electron emitter and the grid 30. The grid may be placed at an interval distance between 100um and 1000um to the electron emitter which is fixed via the . A circular cover is placed on top of the grid acting as the grid electrode ing a voltage to the grid, 32. ing to some of the example embodiments, the spacer may be a ceramic spacer.

The grid is made of electrically conductive wires of equal diameter. Furthermore, the wires are made of high melting point, low vapor pressure and electrically conductive materials, such as W, Mo, Ta, Ni, stainless steel, or nickel based alloys. The er of the wires varies between 30 um and 150 um. The opening ratio of the grid varies between 50% and 80%. Furthermore, the surface of the wires in the grid is coated with a thin layer or ayers of material(s) with properties of pronounced secondary electron emission, such as MgO and d materials. Alternatively, the coating is a UV emitting material, GaN and related materials.

Thus, the coating increases the output intensity of the electrons from the electron emitter. Thus, the overall advantages of a this kind of on emitter as manifested in a triode X—ray tube, as illustrated in Figure 5, are the independency of the electron beam on the anode, and the enhanced t output. Furthermore, the field established between the electron r and the grid determines the intensity of the electron beam. Again, the 3O voltage difference between the electron emitter and the electron receiving component 24 determines the energy of the x-ray beam.

Figure 4 illustrates example shapes in which the electron emitter may be shaped.

The electron emitter 22a is in the shape of a rounded pyramid comprising an electrically conductive ate 23a and a coating of ructures 24a. A further example of an electron emitter 22b is provided in the form of a solid cylinder also comprising an electrically conductive substrate 23b and a g of nanostructures 24b. Figure 4 provides a further example of an electron emitter in the form of a hollow cylinder 22c featuring an electrically conductive substrate 230 and a coating of nanostructures 240. An additional example of an electron emitter is provided in the form of a hollow star 22d sing an electrically tive ate 23d and a coating of nanostructures 24d.

It should be appreciated that such shapes may be adapted for different uses of the x—ray as the shapes may affect the direction of the emitted electrons. It should further be appreciated that other shapes may also be employed in the x-ray device according to the example embodiments.

According to some of the example ments, the nanostructure coating may be grown by a solid—liquid—gas phase method, chemical vapour deposition (CVD) s, or a chemical solution method. ing to some of the e embodiments, the nanostructure coating is configured to be altered, with respect to morphology, to further tate the electron emission by chemical, electrochemical or optical means in or after the growth process.

According to some of the example embodiments, the nanostructure coating may be made of oxides, nitrides, silicides, selinides or ides. According to some of the example embodiments, the nanostructure coating may be made of oxide semiconductors, for example, ZnO. ZnO is an , wide band gap nductor. The conductivity is associated with the oxygen vacancy generated in the growth process.

Improvement on the conductivity is achieved by doping the chemical elements in the columns IA, IIA, IB, IIIA, VIA, VIIA in the periodic table of the elements. Post-growth heat treatment is applied to nize the dopants or to partially segregate them to the e. The morphology of the nanostructure can be altered by chemical or electrochemical means to achieve local field enhancement. UV treatment may also d to improve the surface properties. A surface coating may be applied to the nanostructures to further enhance the electron emission process through decreasing the work function at the surface of the emitter. According to some of the example embodiments, a dielectric layer, for example, SiOz, may be added on the electrically 3O conductive substrate in areas in which the coating of the nanostructures is not present.

Such a dielectric coating may be useful in directing the electron emission.

When a moderate heating is applied, via the heating element 21, while the electron emitter is negatively biased, the electrons are emitted by Schottky emission. When the heating is turned off, while the cathode is negatively biased, the electrons are emitted by field emission. The added function of heating, which is absent in current field emission x- ray sources, may also be applied to regenerate the on emitter by ng unwanted adsorbed chemical species from the e of the emitters in the case of cathode poisoning.

According to some of the example embodiments, multiple electron emitters may be used in the x—ray device. Figure 5 illustrates an x-ray tube in which multiple electron emitters. In this embodiment, three electron emitters 22_1, 22_2 and 22_3 are assembled in the enclosed tube 10 with the rs facing the electron receiving component 14. The number and spacing of the electron rs may vary.

It should be appreciated that any number of electron emitters may be employed in the x—ray device according to the example embodiments. It should further be iated that the electron emitters of Figure 5 may be the electron emitter featured in any of Figures 2 thru 4, or an emitter of any other shape. It should also be appreciated that the electron emitters need not be identical and may comprise different shapes and/or characteristics with respect to one another.

The pattern of the ement of the electron emitters may be, but is not d to, linear, rectangle, square, circular or hexagonal. With respect to the relation to the electron receiving component 14, the electron emitters 22_1, 22_2 and 22_3 may be arranged so all of them emit electrons 0 directed to one focal spot on the on receiving component 14, or so that they project a magnified or demagnified image of the emission n onto the electron receiving component 14.

All these variations are intended to meet the requirement for the dimension and the shape of the x-ray beam 26. The electron rs 22_1, 22_2 and 22_3 may be activated collectively or individually, aneously or sequentially. Such a flexible activation regime allows a high frequency, pulsing mode for x-ray generation by setting the output frequency of the power source, and a wide range of dose selection by choosing the number of activated on emitters 22_1, 22_2 and 22_3. The activation of the electron emitters 22_1, 22_2 and 22_3 may be lled by the power supply 28.

The e embodiments presented herein allow for the individual activation of the electron emitters 22_1, 22_2 and 22_3, thereby providing a mechanism for stabilizing 3O emission current, which is not available in current x-ray systems. It should be appreciated that the inhomogeneity in the emission is a serious problem in large area cathodes or multi cathodes. This problem stems from the geometrical and physical inhomogeneity of the emitters.

In other words, the problem of the emitters described above stems from material and processing issues. Therefore, some of the example embodiments are directed towards an improvement on the growth of the emitter material on the substrate. According to some of the example embodiments, the existence of the inhomogeneity among the emitters is also solved at the component level. Such an example embodiment is described by taking a three-cathode configuration as example of Figure 5.

Figures 6A and GB illustrates the current and voltage characteristics of the electron emitter configuration of Figure 5. In each graph, the plotted points ented by the triangular, square and circular plots represent electron emitter 22_1, 22_2 and 22_3, respectively, of Figure 5.

Figure 6A illustrates an application of voltage V, while keeping a same distance between the same electron emitter and electron ing component. Each electron emitter 22_1, 22_2 and 22_3, will emit t i1, i2 and i3, respectively. As shown in the graph of Figure 6A, the amount of current supplied by the electron emission of each electron emitter differs. Although the inhomogeneity may be quantitatively described by ly defining the mean square error or root mean square deviation of the measured current values of all emitters in question, the graphical ence shown in Figure 6A is sufficient to illustrate the point.

If all of the three on emitters should emit the same t, then different voltages v1, v2, and v3 need to be applied to the on emitters 22_1, 22_2 and 22_3, respectively, as seen in Figure 6B. The advantageous consequence manifests itself when the electron emitters are directed to different focal spots to create a ular shape of the x-ray beam. The mechanism provides a spatial homogeneity of the x-ray beam by providing a constant t at all focal spots. Afurther advantage is that when the electron emitters are directed towards one focal spot, and biased sequentially, the emitters provide an electron emission with temporal neity with a constant current over time. In addition, to ensure the stability and homogeneity of the x-ray emission, a feedback monitoring circuit may be used to control the electron emission process. ing to some of the example embodiments, the electrical power source 28 is further configured to supply a potential difference n the at least one electron generating component(s) and the electron receiving component for a diode tube in three 3O bias modes, (-,0: e negative, anode grounded), (-,+: cathode negative, anode positive) and (0,+: cathode grounded, anode positive). The use of such bias modes is provided for inducing the ky emission. Thus, an example advantage of such an embodiment is the elimination of a cooling system or long cool down and warm up periods which are common for hot filament-based systems which utilize field emission. Thus, a more portable x-ray device may be obtained.

According to some of the example embodiments, the electrical power source is configured to operate in DC mode, i.e. constant (-, 0), (-, +), (0, +); pulse mode, i.e. square waves with anode grounded: or with the cathode grounded; or AC mode , Le. a sinus wave An example advantage of providing an electrical power source with ent modes of operations is the ability of providing a more versatile device. For example, in pulse and AC modes, a defined rising time, frequency, duty cycle and pulse shape of rm may be obtained.

It should be appreciated that the x-ray device described herein may be used in a number of fields. For e, the x—ray device may be used in a security scanning apparatus, for example, as one would find in an airport ty check. As the use of the heat element and the Schottky emission allows for a more portable device, the x—ray device may be easily implemented in such a ty system.

A further example use of the x-ray device discussed herein is in medical scanning devices such as a computed tomography (CT) scanning apparatus or a C-arm type scanning apparatus, which may include a mini C-arm apparatus. A further example use of the x-ray device described herein is in a geological surveying apparatus.

It should be appreciated that the x-ray device described herein may be used in any non-destructive testing apparatus. A few example application of the x-ray device may be mammography, veterinary imaging, and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, etc.

The description of the example embodiments provided herein have been presented for es of illustration. The description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit e embodiments to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above ngs or may be acquired from practice of s alternatives to the ed embodiments. The examples discussed herein were chosen and described in order to explain the principles and the nature of various example embodiments and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the example embodiments in various manners and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The features of the embodiments described herein may be combined in all possible combinations of methods, apparatus, modules, systems, and 3O computer program products. It should be appreciated that the example embodiments presented herein may be practiced in any ation with each other.

It should be noted that the word “comprising” does not necessarily exclude the presence of other elements or steps than those listed and the words “a” or “an” preceding an t do not exclude the ce of a ity of such elements. It should further be noted that any reference signs do not limit the scope of the claims, that the example embodiments may be ented at least in part by means of both hardware and software, and that several “means”, “units” or “devices” may be represented by the same item of hardware.

In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments. r, many variations and modifications can be made to these embodiments. Accordingly, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for es of limitation, the scope of the embodiments being defined by the following claims.

Claims (12)

1. An x-ray generating device comprising: at least one electron emitter(s) sing an electrically conductive substrate, 5 wherein the electrically conductive ate comprises a coating of nanostructures; a heating element attachable to each electrically conductive substrate of the at least one electron emitter(s); an electron receiving component configured to receiving electrons emitted from the at least one electron emitter(s); and 10 an evacuated enclosure configured to house the at least one electron emitter(s), the heating element and the electron receiving component; wherein the at least one electron emitter(s) is configured for Schottky emission when the heating element is in an on-state and the at least one electron emitter(s) is negatively biased; 15 the x-ray generating device further comprising an electrical power source configured to control an operational state of the g element, n the electrical power source is further configured to supply a potential difference between the at least one electron emitter(s) and the electron ing ent in three bias modes, (-,0),(-,+) and (0,+).

2. The x-ray generating device of claim 1, wherein the at least one electron emitter(s) is r configured for field emission when the heating element is in an off-state and the at least one electron emitter(s) is negatively biased. 25

3. The x-ray generating device of claim 1, wherein the ical power source is configured to operate in DC mode, pulse mode or AC mode.

4. The x-ray generating device of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the ically conductive substrate is made of stainless steel, , nickel based , iron or 30 iron based alloys.

5. The x-ray generating device of any of claims 1-4, wherein the electron receiving component is made of metal, a metallic alloy, a metallic compound, or a metal ceramic composite.

6. The x-ray ting device of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the at least one electron emitter(s) further comprises a grid situated at a fixed distance between 100um and 1000um via a . 5

7. Use of the x-ray generating device of any one of claims 1-6, in a security x-ray ng apparatus.

8. Use of the x-ray generating device of any one of claims 1-6, in a computed tomography scanning apparatus.

9. Use of the x-ray generating device of any one of claims 1-6, in a C-arm type scanning apparatus.

10. Use of the x-ray generating device of any one of claims 1-6, in a geological 15 surveying apparatus.

11. Use of the x-ray generating device of any one of claims 1-6, in x-ray fluorescence spectrometry. 20

12. The x-ray generating device of claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to any one of