Abstract:
When an emission current is changed, a decrease in brightness of an electron beam is prevented. An electron gun includes a cathode that emits thermoelectrons, a Wehnelt electrode that focuses the thermoelectrons, a control electrode that extracts the thermoelectrons from a distal end of said cathode, an anode that accelerates the thermoelectrons and irradiates a powder with the thermoelectrons as an electron beam, and an optimum condition collection controller that changes at least one of a bias voltage to be applied to the Wehnelt electrode and a control electrode voltage to be applied to the control electrode, and decides a combination of the bias voltage and the control electrode voltage at which the brightness of the electron beam reaches a peak.
Abstract:
When an emission current is changed, a decrease in brightness of an electron beam is prevented. An electron gun includes a cathode that emits thermoelectrons, a Wehnelt electrode that focuses the thermoelectrons, a control electrode that extracts the thermoelectrons from a distal end of said cathode, an anode that accelerates the thermoelectrons and irradiates a powder with the thermoelectrons as an electron beam, and an optimum condition collection controller that changes at least one of a bias voltage to be applied to the Wehnelt electrode and a control electrode voltage to be applied to the control electrode, and decides a combination of the bias voltage and the control electrode voltage at which the brightness of the electron beam reaches a peak.