Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

Abstract :
The cathode-ray tube (CRT) has been around for over 100 years and is
still used in various applications. Because the CRT is a well-established
technology, CRT’s are relatively inexpensive and reliable. While the
CRT has many advantages, it is slowly being taken over by other display
technologies. This assignment focuses on the components of the CRT
and how they work. The basic physics principles behind each part are
explained to give a brief understanding of how the CRT works.

Introduction :
The first cathode ray tube scanning device was invented by the
German scientist Karl Ferdinand Braun in 1897. Braun introduced a
CRT with a fluorescent screen, known as the cathode ray oscilloscope.
The screen would emit a visible light when struck by a beam of
electrons.

Fig : : The Braun Tube

Since the early 1900s, the Cathode-Ray Tube or CRT (sometimes called
the Braun Tube) has played an important part in displaying images,
movies, and information. Over time, CRTs have advanced employing
many different techniques to increase image precision and quality.
While the technology has been around for several decades and is quite
mature, it still has much room for improvement.

While today's CRT displays are much more advanced than those of a
decade ago, they are much simpler than other display technologies.
This gives the CRT several important advantages: cheap to
manufacture and the ability to display high quality images. Due to the
low cost, CRTs have a very high resolution to price ratio compared to
other displays [Sherman, 2000]. Another important trait is the ability
to display colors with high fidelity.

Operation Of CRT :

The basic CRT consists of 4 major components :

1. Cathode : The heater keeps the cathode at a higher temperature

and electrons flow from the heated cathode towards the surface
of the cathode. The accelerating anode has a small hole at its
center and is maintained at a high potential, which is of positive
polarity. The order of this voltage is 1 to 20 kV, relative to the
cathode. This potential difference creates an electric field
directed from right to left in the region between the accelerating
anode and the cathode. Electrons pass through the hole in the
anode travel with constant horizontal velocity from the anode to
the fluorescent screen. The electrons strike the screen area and
it glows brightly.

2. The Control Grid : The control grid regulates the brightness of the
spot on the screen. By controlling the number of electrons by the
anode and hence the focusing anode ensures that electrons
leaving the cathode in slightly different directions are focused
 down to a narrow beam and all arrive at the same spot on the
screen. The whole assembly of cathode, control grid, focusing
anode, and accelerating electrode is called the electron gun.

3. Deflecting Plates : Two pairs of deflecting plates allow the beam of

electrons. An electric field between the first pair of plates
deflects the electrons horizontally, and an electric field between
the second pair deflects them vertically, the electrons travel in a
straight line from the hole in the accelerating anode to the center
of the screen when no deflecting fields are present, where they
produce a bright spot.

4. Screen : This may be circular or rectangular. Screen is coated with

special type of fluorescent material. Fluorescent material absorbs
its energy and re-emits light in the form of photons when electron
beam hits the screen. When it happens some of them bounces
back just like bouncing of cricket ball from a wall. These are
called as secondary electrons. They must be absorbed and
returned back to cathode, if it is not so they accumulate near
screen and produce space charge or electrons cloud. To avoid
this, aquodic coating is applied on funnel part of CRT from inside.

Working Principle :

When the two metal plates are connected to a high voltage source, the
negatively charged plate called cathode, emits an invisible ray. The
cathode ray is drawn to the positively charged plate called the anode,
where it passes through a hole and continues travelling to the other
end of the tube. When the ray strikes the specially coated surface, the
cathode ray produces a strong fluorescence, or bright light. When an
electric field is applied across the cathode ray tube, the cathode ray
is attracted by the plate bearing positive charges. Therefore a cathode
ray must consist of negatively charged particles. A moving charged
body behaves like a tiny magnet, and it can interact with an external
magnetic field. The electrons deflected by the magnetic field. And also
when the external magnetic field is reversed, the beam of electronics
is deflected in the opposite direction.

In a cathode ray tube, the cathode is a heated filament and it placed

in vacuum. The ray is a stream of electrons that naturally pour off a
heated cathode into the vacuum. Electrons are negative. The anode is
positive, so it attracts the electrons pouring off the cathode. In a TV’s
cathode ray tube, the stream of electrons is focused by a focusing
anode into a tight beam and then accelerated by an accelerating
anode. This tight, high-speed beam of electrons flies through the
vacuum in the tube and hits the flat screen at the other end of the
tube. This screen is coated with phosphor, which glows when struck
by the beam.

Operation of CRT :

Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) is a display screen, used to display the output
in a standard composite video signal. The working of CRT depends on
movement of an electron beam which moves back and forth across the
back of the screen. The source of the electron beam is the electron
gun; the gun is located in the narrow, cylindrical neck at the extreme
rear of a CRT which produces a stream of electrons through thermionic
emission. Usually, A CRT has a fluorescent screen to display the output
signal. A simple CRT is shown in below.
 Fig : : Labelled Cathode Ray Tube

The operation of a CRT monitor is basically very simple. A cathode ray

tube consists of one or more electron guns, possibly internal
electrostatic deflection plates and a phosphor target. CRT has three
electron beams – one for each (Red, Green, and Blue). The electron
beam produces a tiny, bright visible spot when it strikes the phosphor-
coated screen. In every monitor device the entire front area of the
tube is scanned repetitively and systematically in a fixed pattern
called a raster. An image (raster) is displayed by scanning the electron
beam across the screen. The phosphorus targets are begins to fade
after a short time, the image needs to be refreshed continuously. Thus
CRT produces the three color images which are primary colors. We
generally use a 60 Hz rate to eliminate the flicker by refreshing the
screen.

Physics Behind The Formation Of Bright Spot

On screen :
● The electron gun assembly consists of an indirectly heated
cathode, a control grid surrounding the cathode, a focusing anode
and an accel-erating anode. The sole function of the electron gun
assembly is to provide a focused electron beam which is
accelerated towards the phosphor screen.
● The cathode is a nickel cylinder coated with an oxide coating and
emits plenty of electrons, when heated. The emitting surface of
the cathode should be as small as possible, theoretically a point.
Rate of emission of electrons or say the intensity of electron beam
depends on the cathode current, which can be controlled by the
control grid .
● The control grid is a metal cylinder covered at one end but with
a small hole in the cover. The grid is kept at negative potential
(variable) with respect to cathode and its function is to vary the
electron emission and so is the brilliancy of the spot on the
phosphor screen. The hole in the grid is provided to allow passage
for electrons through it and concentrate the beam of electrons
along the axis of tube. Electron beam comes out from the control
grid through a small hole in it and enters a pre-accelerating
anode, which is a hollow cylinder in shape and is at a potential of
few hundred volts more positive than the cathode so as to
accelerate the electron beam in the electric field.

Fig : : Electrostatic Focusing System of a CRT

● This accelerated beam would be scattered now because of

variations in energy and would produce a broad ill-defined spot
on the screen. This electron beam is focused on the screen by an
electrostatic lens consisting of two more cylindrical anodes
called the focusing anode and accelerating anode apart from the
pre-accelerating anode.
 ● The focusing and accelerating anodes may be open or close at
both ends and if covered, holes must be provided in the anode
cover for the passage of electrons. The function of these anodes
is to concentrate and focus the beam on the screen and also to
accelerate the speed of electrons.

Electrostatic lens consists of three anodes, with the middle

anode at a lower potential than the other two electrodes. In the figure
below two anodes and its electrostatic lines and equipotential surfaces
are shown. A potential difference is kept between these two
electrodes so that an electric field is generated between them. If
equipotential lines are drawn, as shown in figure, they would bulge at
the Centre of the two anodes. As we know that electrons move in a
direction opposite to that of electric field lines and equipotential
surfaces are perpendicular to the electric field lines so force on the
electron is exerted in the direction normal to the equipotential
surface.

Electrons entering at the center line of the two anodes experience no

force but electrons displaced from the center line experience a force
normal to the direction of equipotential surface and deflect, as shown
in figure. An equipotential surface is shown, in which an electron with
velocity V1 and at an angle θ1 to the normal of equipotential surface
enters and experiences a force in a direction normal to the
equipotential surface. Thus the velocity of the electron increases to
V2. This force on the electron is exerted in the direction normal to
equipotential surface so only the normal component of electron
velocity V1N increases to V2N and the tangential component of velocity
V1T remains the same.
 Fig : : Refraction of an Electron Ray at an Equipotential Surface

From figure:

V1T = V1 sin θ1, V2T = V2 sin θ2

But V1T = V2T
V1 sin θ1 = V2 sin θ2
So, V2/V1 = sin θ1 / sin θ2

From the above expression it is obvious that equipotential surface acts

as a concave lens in geometrical optics. That is why this focusing
system is named as an electrostatic lens. Now if we go back and refer
figure, it can be seen that because of middle anode to a lower
potential, electron beam coming from the cathode and passing through
the first concave electrostatic lens tends to become more aligned with
the axis of CRT and when it enters at the second concave electrostatic
lens, formed between two anodes at different potentials, it is focused
at the phosphor screen. Focal length of the electrostatic lens can lie
adjusted by varying potential of middle anode with respect to other
two anodes. Thus electron beam can be made to focus at the screen
very precisely.
Screen spot intensity relations with :
Acceleration potential

The general arrangement of the electrostatic deflection is shown in

the figure below. The A and B are the two parallel plates between
which the potential difference is applied. These deflection plates
produce the uniform electrostatic field in the Y direction. The electron
enters between the plates experienced the force only in the Y
direction, and the electron will move only in that direction. There is
no force either in X direction or the Z direction. Hence, no
acceleration of electrons occurs in that direction.

E0 = Voltage of pre-accelerating anode in volt.

e = charge of an electron in coulomb.
m = mass of electron in Kg.
VOX = velocity of the electron when entering into the deflecting plates in meter per second.
Ed = potential between deflecting plates in Volts.
d = distance between deflecting plate in the meter.
Ld = length of deflecting plate in meters.
L = Distance between screen and the mid of the deflecting plates.
D = deflection of the electron beam on the screen in the Y direction.

When the electron moves from the accelerating cathode to anode,

they lose their potential energy. The formula gives the potential
energy of the electron.
The electrons gain the kinetic energy. And their energy is given by the
equation

Equating the potential and kinetic energy we get the velocity of the
electron when it enters in the deflecting plates.

The velocity of the electron in X direction remains same throughout

the deflection plate because no force was acting in the X direction.

The equation gives the electric field intensity in the Y direction

The force acting on the electron in the Y direction. The term ay shows
the acceleration of electrons in the y direction.

The initial velocity of the electron enters into the deflection plate is
equal to zero, and the equation gives the displacement of an electron
in the Y direction at any time t

The velocity in the Y direction is constant, and the displacement in

the Y direction is given as

Substituting the value of t in the displacement equation y gives

The above equation represents parabola. The slope at any point is
given as

By substituting the x = ld, we get the value of tanθ.

After passing through the deflection plate, the electrons move into
the straight line. This straight line is the tangent to the parabola at x
= ld and intersect the X-axis at point O’.The equation gives the
location of the point

The deflection D on the screen is expressed as

By substituting the value of v2ox in the above equation we get

From the above equation, we can say that the deflection of the
electron is directly proportional to the deflecting voltage. Thus, it is
also proportional to the acceleration.
 LIGHT-INTENSITY DISTRIBUTION IN THE SPOT
ON CRT
For judging the quality of the electron gun of a cathode-ray tube the
diameter of the focus on the fluorescent quantity. This is defined with
the aid of the diametrical diameter distribution intensity in the spot
theoretically as that width within which the intensity is greater than
1fe of the peak value. It is therefore important to be able to measure
the intensity distribution. For this purpose various set-ups are used in
the Philips laboratories and elsewhere. Although our set-up contains
no
of the light a Gaussian curve
535.247.4:621.385.832
There are various methods of scanning the spot image. In one of them
the slit is moved by means of a micrometer screw 2), and in another
the spot is projected via a mirror onto the slit, the 'mirror being
rotated 3). In our set-up (fig. 2) the electron beam is _ slightly
deflected with the aid of a coil, the slit
remaining stationary.
If a beam with a voltage of 15 kV and a current of 0.1 to 1 mA were to
bombard the fluorescent screen çontinuously, the latter would very
soon be damaged. For this reason the beam is intermittently
a
Reg
b
Fig. 1. a) Diagram of the set-up. The electron gun under investigation
is mounted in a testing tube A. A magnified image of the focused spot
F is produced on a screen by the lens L. The slit S cuts a narrow strip
from the image (see b), the light from which falls on a
photomultiplier B. The image is scanned by the relative movement of
slit and image (see arrow in b). Reg pen recorder.
are not used by others,
essential elements that it may still be useful to describe it here and to
mention some general practical experience which we and others have
gained over the years in the design of set-ups for such measurements.
Fig. la shows the principle of our -set-up. The gun to be investigated
is mounted in a testing tube A. The non-deflected beam is focused on
the fluorescent screen, and an optically magnified image of the spot F
is made to pass over a slit S and a photomultiplier B behind the slit.
Scanning with a slit instead of a hole is possible because we assume
the beam to have circular symmetry (see fig.1h) 1). The advantage is
that more light falls on the photomultiplier, the often troublesome and
moreover graininess of the fluorescent screen is averaged out. A pen
recorder Reg connected to the photomultiplier traces a curve from
which the intensity distribution in the spot can be calculated.
1) A slit is also suitable for measuring an elliptical spot in a simple way,
provided the slit is parallel to one of the axes of the ellipse.
suppressed by using pulse technique, so that electrons strike the
screen only during a fraction 10-4 to 10-5 of the time. The pulses may,
for example, be applied to the Wehnelt cylinder of the gun (W in fig.
3). The simplest procedure is then to give the peaks of the pulses
during which the electron ·beam is passed a fixed potential, e.g. earth
potential. The beam current can then be adjusted by means of the
cathode voltage.
Even small movements of the spot
in relation to the slit will cause considerable variations in the output
voltage of the photomultiplier. Unwanted movements can be caused
by external magnetic interference and by hum and other voltage
fluctuations apparatus. External magnetic interference is suppressed
by magnetically screening the whole cathode-ray tube with mu-metal
(1 mm thick). Voltage fluctuations are avoided by power supply in the
experiments performed.
154
that case to ensure that the symmetry aXIS of the focusing coil
coincides with the axis ofthe beam. For that purpose the coil is rigidly
fixed to the neck of the tube by means of an adjustable holder. Ifthe
tube is accidentally moved the coil (1 infig. 4) will move
Fig. 4. The testing tube with its coils; screening can, optical been
removed. leafspring). spot.
1 focusing coil. 2, 2' clamping rings. 3leafspring
4, 4' adjusting
with it, so that the coil setting is not affected. The coil holder consists
of two rings (2, 2') which are each clamped to one side of the coil. In
each ring a phosphor-bronze leafspring (3) presses the tube neck
against two adjusting screws (4, 4'), with which the rings can be
aligned. By aligning the two rings the axis of the coil can be made to
coincide with the axis of the unfocused beam, which can be verified
as follows.
altenlating current whose amplitude is equal to the focusing current.
Wethen see the two spots on the screen at the same time, joined by a
series of intermediate positions in which the beam is not focused (fig.
the
Sa, b). It is now a simple matter
to adjust
in the expression for the focal
If, after ha ving focused the beam by passing a through the coil, we
pass a current of given current equal magnitude but opposite direction
through the the beam is again focused on the focusing coil, screen:
length the magnetic induction on the coil axis occurs only in even
powers, so that on the induction changing sign the focal If, however,
the focus will not lie at the coil is out of alignment, the same point on
the screen as the first the electron paths in the magnetic field having
been turned angle. By turning the adjusting screws, the two spots can
be made to coincide. This can happen, however, at any point of the
screen, so that we need one more
through an equal but opposite
length remains unchanged.
time,
a
b on the an alternating
screen
of
image that focusing coil
Fig. 5. a) Example when the non-aligned current whose amplitude ma
intersecting tube displays, McGraw-Hill, b) How the image in (a) is
produced.
and asymmetrical
half-moons;
is equal forms see e.g. T. Sailer
New York
can appear is carrying
can also occur,
to the focusing current
(comselfray 1948, p. 105, fig. 3.16).
and also et al., Cathode
The coil is aligned when the two focal points
are made
moon) area of the unfocused adjusting
heam. This screws on the coil holder.
to coin.cide
in the middle
(ends of halfof the fluorescent
is done by turning
the
four
1963/64, No. 6/7
INTENSITY DISTRIBUTION IN C.R.T. SPOT
155
coil accurately with the four screws. If we connect a capacitor of
appropriate value in series with the coil, this adjustment can be
carried out at a relatively low alternating voltage.
Finally, we shall give an example of a test+using the set-up described,
relating to a certain type of electron gun for a television picture tube
4). Calculations and measurements were made .of a quantity Q that
can be used as a figure of merit and which is given by:
120%
100
Oexp-Oth
~o1 60
40
20
~LJ--:-:/ ......
__ -2 _ ...
IV
/
.-V
,,
is the beam diameter at
where 2ri the position of the deflection coil of the picture tube with
the beam focused, D the diameter of the focus on the fluores~ cent
screen and L the distance between deflection coil and screen. Q is
virtually independent of the positions of focusing coil and deflection
coil, so that it gives some information about gun (the smaller Q the
better the gun). Fig. 6 shows the percentage deviation of the
experimental value Qexp of Q of the gun under investigation from the
theoretical value Qth. In determining the value Qexp the quantity D
was measured with the set-up described above.
the quality of the .
In order to measure the diameter 2ri as well, we mounted a plane grid
of parallel wires of known equal spacing in the testing tube, in the
plane of the deflection coil in the picture tube for which the gun
4) J. Hasker and H. Groendijk, Measurement and calculation of the
figure of merit of a cathode-ray tube, Philips Res. Repts.17, 401-
418,1962 (No. 5).
200
400
800
1000!1A
Fig. 6. Percentage deviation of the experimental figure of merit Qexp
from the theoretical value Qth, for a certain type of electron gun to
be used in a television picture tube. For curve 1 the beam current I
was varied by means of the cathode voltage, for curve 2 by means of
the cathode temperature. (Taken from 4).)
was intended. The grid was positioned perpendicular to the beam axis.
Between this grid and the screen there was an additionaL focusing coil
(not shown in fig. 4, and not energized for the measurement of D).
After the measurement of D, without changing the setting of the
focusing coil for the spot (1 in fig. 4), the additional focusing coil was
energized to such an extent as to produce on the screen an image of
the grid. The diameter 2ri was then determined by counting the
number of imaged grid wires.
 C. WEBER *).
*) Philips Research Laboratories, Eindhoven.

Conclusion :
CRTs are gradually being replaced by other display technologies, such
as Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs). However, the CRT still has many uses.
CRTs are easy and cheap to produce because they use a simple design.
With the ability to compete on price and quality, the CRT will not likely
disappear any time soon. The CRT has many benefits when compared
to other display technologies. The two most important ones are price
and quality. The CRT has many benefits when compared to other
display technologies. The two most important ones are price and
quality. One major weakness is that they are large and weigh a lot.
This can make them difficult to store and to move. CRTs also use a lot
of power compared to other display technologies such as LCDs and
Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs). Another weakness is that they
must constantly be refreshed. This is because when the colors are
displayed, they quickly fade out, so the screen must be refreshed to
keep it bright.

The below table summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of a CRT :

 Strengths Weaknesses
Highest resolution technology High power consumption
Excellent color fidelity Weight
Excellent contrast/gray scale Size of footprint
Bright display Emits electromagnetic radiation
Broad application range Must be refreshed
Long life and reliability
Inexpensive

Reference :
1. History and introduction of the topic is referred from
https://history-computer.com/ModernComputer/Basis/cathode.html
on 30th of March 2019.

2. Abstract, introduction and conclusion of the topic is retrieved from

http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/holms/2E_CRT_report_2.pdf
On 1st of April 2019.

3. Principle of working and operation of a CRT information. Retrieved

on 1st of April 2019 https://www.elprocus.com/cathode-ray-tube/

4.Physics behind the image formation on screen, the information is

taken from
http://www.circuitstoday.com/crt-cathode-ray-tube