Performance and Capabilities of New Plumbicon TV Camera Pickup Tubes

Recently developed Plumbicons display increased sensitivity, longer wavelength response, higher resolution, less lag, extended dynamic range, and smaller size. The TV camera designer is now able to choose among three sizes of lead oxide camera tubes—30-mm, 1-in, and ⅝-in; two wavelength sensitivities — standard and extended-red; and four electron-optics configurations — all-magnetic, all-electrostatic focus and deflection, and their combinations. There is a thin, evaporated, polycrystalline, photosensitive layer of PbO in the Plumbicon which behaves as if it were a layer of closely packed, reverse-biased, wide-gap nearly intrinsic photodiodes with blocking contacts. The influence of the resulting characteristics on camera-tube performance is discussed. A description is given of the principles, properties and capabilities of the technique of “flyback highlight discharge,” which permits extending the dynamic range of a Plumbicon adjustably upward by several orders of magnitude.

Print ISSN

0361-4573

Published

1970-02

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J10739