The Schottky electron emitter is a predominant electron-emitting source in today’s electron beam equipment. This book comprehensively covers the Schottky emitter, dealing with its theoretical as well as practical aspects. The main questions that are addressed in this book are: what is the Schottky electron emitter? How does it work? And how do its properties affect the performance of electron beam equipment?

The focus is on the direct link between the operating conditions of the source and the properties of the beam at the target level. This coupling is made clear by discussing the effect of the operating conditions and the geometry of the source and gun on the emission properties of the emitting surface, the effect of Coulomb interactions on the brightness and energy spread in the first few millimeters of the beam path, and the effect of the operating conditions and the shape of the emitter on the consequences of the beam at the target. The final chapter combines all these effects to demonstrate that there is a trade-off to be made between brightness, energy spread, and shape stability.