Abstract: The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for generating controllable beam of electrons using a hollow-cathode triode electron gun that substantially mitigate impact of back-streaming electrons. In one embodiment, a triode hollow-cathode electron gun is configured to provide electrons and substantially mitigates the impact of back-streaming electrons. The triode hollow-cathode electron gun includes a hollow cathode, a heating filament, an anode, a control grid, a shadow grid and a sleeve mechanically coupled to the hollow-cathode. The sleeve is substantially centered on the axis of the triode hollow-cathode electron gun and configured to maintain shape and trajectory of emitted beams of electrons.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for generating controllable beam of electrons using a hollow-cathode triode electron gun that substantially mitigate impact of back-streaming electrons.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of material bonding using captive plungers is disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a base plate to have multiple holes in an array, multiple captive plungers each surrounded by a compressible spring to couple to the multiple holes in such a way which allows each of the multiple captive plungers to vertically move in a confine of each of the multiple holes corresponding to the each of the multiple captive plungers, and a fastening device to apply a force to bond two or more parts placed on top of each other with a bonding material in between the two or more parts through pressing the base plate to the two or more parts such that the force delivered through the multiple captive plungers to the two or more parts is concentrated to the array.