A long pulse, high-current electron gun for e-beam sustained excimer lasers

A new kind of electron gun is described which has produced 5-μs
e
-beams at 130 keV and 2 A/cm
²
. Scaling estimates are presented which predict that this gun could operate at 400 keV and 10 A/cm
²
, beam parameters suitable for pumping excimer laser systems. For this application the gun has the advantages that the
e
-beam is nearly monoenergetic and the pulse widths longer than that possible with other presently used
e
-guns.