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PBN Crucibles for Precision Application

Pyrolytic Boron Nitride Crucible can withstand high temperatures in a high vacuum environment. It has excellent thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and electrical resistance.

LA1406 Lanthanum Hexaboride Cathode, Lab6 Cathode

Catalog No. LA1406
Molecular Formula LaB6
Molecular Weight 203.78
Appearance Purple
Melting Point 2210 °C
Density 4.72 g/cm3
Solubility in Water Insoluble
Crystal Structure Cubic

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LA1406 Lanthanum Hexaboride Cathode, Lab6 Cathode

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Lanthanum Hexaboride Cathode Description

Lanthanum Hexaboride, also called LaB6 cathode, is an inorganic chemical of rare earth. With a melting point 2528 K, it is a refractory ceramic material, which is insoluble in water or hydrochloric acid and very stable in a vacuum.

The unique properties of lanthanum hexaboride crystals provide stable electron-emitting media with work functions near 2.70 eV. The low work function yields higher currents at lower cathode temperatures than tungsten, which means greater brightness, current at the beam focus, and longer life. Typically, LaB₆cathodes exhibit 10 times the brightness and 50 times the service life of tungsten cathodes. In electron microscope applications, these characteristics translate to more beam current in a smaller spot at the sample, improved resolution, and less frequent cathode replacement.

Lanthanum Hexaboride Cathode Specifications

Product	Lanthanum Hexaboride	Structure	Polycrystalline
Symbol	LaB6 cathode	Thermal Conductive	47 W/mK (20℃)
Cas No.	12008-21-8	Thermal Expansion	6.2 10^-6K^-1 (20-900℃)
Atomic Mass	203.78 g/mol	Electrical Resistance	ca.15 μΩ cm (20℃)
Density	4.72 g/cm³	Electrical Conductive	6.65×10⁴S/cm (20℃)
Melting Point	2528 K	Current Density	150 A/cm2 (1950℃)
Hardness	87.5 RA	Electron Emissivity	2.6 eV
Flexure Strength (σ)	200 Mpa	Fracture toughness (Kic)	3.0 MN/m³/2

Lanthanum Hexaboride Cathode Advantages

- Extended Life – Thousands of Hours in Clean Vacuum. Guaranteed Life (Measured in Surface Loss). Guaranteed Against Mounting Structure Failure.

- Exceptional Stability – Thermal/Chemical/Electrical. Precision Machined Carbon Mounting. High oprating temperature tolerance.

- High Brightness/Low Energy Spread – Oriented Single Crystal. Best-Quality/High-Purity Material.

- Accurate Microflats – Superior Optics/Controlled Source Size Standard Diameter Available.

Lanthanum Hexaboride Cathode Applications

-Thermionic emission (cathode)
-Plasma source for plasma-enhanced coating(PECVD)
-Vacuum electron beam welding machine
-Electron beam surface reforming device
-Electron beam lithography device
-Transmission electron microscope
-Scanning electron microscope
-Surface analysis device
-Radio therapy devices

LaB6 Cathode VS. CeB6 Cathode

	CeB6	LaB6
Brightness (A/cm2-sr)	107	107
Short-term beam current stability % RMS	< 1	< 1
Typical service life (hr)	1,500+	1000+
Operating vacuum (torr)	10-7	10-7
Work function (eV)	~2.65	~2.70
Evaporation rate (g/cm2-sec)	1.6 x 10-9	2.2 x 10-9

Packing Service

ACM’s high-quality lanthanum hexaboride cathode is carefully handled to minimize damage during storage and transportation and to preserve the quality of our products in their original condition.