Abstract: A vacuum deposition process for depositing powdered phosphor on fiber optic face plates, such as the output fiber optic window of gated image intensifiers. The process involves resistive heating vacuum deposition of a powdered phosphor, such as Zn, CD, (S) to a thickness of 7900 Angstroms, for example, after which it is annealed which promotes a columnar growth and makes the phosphor efficient. The thus annealed phosphor can then be directly overcoated with aluminum of a thinner coating than over a powdered phosphor produced by prior known methods due to the smoother surface produced by this process.

Abstract: A thin layer of alumina (aluminum oxide) is coated onto the ground plane of a microchannel plate (MCP) without covering the pores of the MCP so it does not effect the performance. The coating is sputtered onto the ground plane at a very steep angle. The addition of the thin dielectric coating of alumina greatly improves the spatial resolution of proximity focused image intensifiers using a narrow gap between the phosphor screen and the MCP. With the coating on the ground plane and the same gap the phosphor screen can be ran at 9000 volts, as compared to 3 kV without the coating.