Design and Characterization of a Multi‐beam Micro‐CT Scanner based on Carbon Nanotube Field Emission X‐Ray Technology

In this dissertation, I will present the results for my Ph.D. research for the past five years. My project mainly focuses on advanced imaging applications with a multi- beam x-ray source array based on carbon nanotube field emission technology. In the past few years, research in carbon nanotubes gradually changed from the raw material science to its application. Field emission x-ray application is one of the hottest research areas for carbon nanotube. Compared to traditional thermionic x-ray sources, the carbon nanotube field emission x-ray source has some natural advantages over traditional thermionic x-ray sources such as instantaneous x-ray generation, programmability and miniaturization. For the past few years, the research and development of carbon nanotube field emission x-ray has shifted from single x-ray beam applications to spatially distributed multi-beam x-ray sources. Previously in Zhou group, we have already built a gated micro-CT system with single beam micro-focus x-ray tube for higher spatial and temporal resolution as required in live animal imaging and a multi-beam tomosynthesis system targeting for faster and more stable breast imaging. Now my project mainly focused on the design, characterization and optimization of a multi-beam micro-CT imaging system. With the increase of gantry rotation speed approaching the mechanical limit, it is getting more and more difficult to further speed up the CT scanning. My new system promises a potential solution for the problem, and it serves as a great test platform for truly stationary micro-CT geometry. The potential capabilities it showed during the characterization and imaging measurements was promising. The dissertation is composed of five chapters. In Chapter 1, I will generally review the physics principles of x-ray generation and interaction with matter. Then the discovery of carbon nanotube and its great potential to serve as an excellent field emission electron source will be introduced in the second chapter, also the synthesis and technique of carbon nanotube field emission x-ray source fabrication demonstrated. Chapter 3 will be mainly describing the design of the multi-beam micro-CT system. Afterwards characterization, optimization and results from imaging measurements will be discussed in Chapter 4. Finally the conclusion and future work of this field will be given in Chapter 5