-tron, -tronic, -tronics +

(Greek: a suffix referring to a device, tool, or instrument; more generally, used in the names of any kind of chamber or apparatus used in experiments)


A possible allusion to the Greek instrumental suffix, as in árotron, "plow" as spelled in the U.S. or "plough", as spelled by the British; from the Greek stem aroun, "to plow".

The suffix -tron is the result of the combining form extracted from electron, used with nouns or combining forms, principally in the names of electron tubes (ignitron; klystron; magnetron) and of devices for accelerating subatomic particles (cosmotron; cyclotron); also, more generally, in the names of any kind of chamber or apparatus used in experiments (biotron).

electron-beam fusion, electron beam fusion
1. A process in which strong electron beams implode tiny pellets of deuterium and tritium, causing them to attain the temperature and density needed to initiate a fusion reaction.
2. The use of intense beams of electrons to implode small pellets of deuterium and tritium so that they reach the temperature and density required for initiating a fusion reaction.
electron-beam ion source, electron beam ion source, EBIS
1. A source of multiple charged heavy ions used by a highly energized electron beam to ionize injected gas.
2. A source of multiple charged heavy ions which uses an intense electron beam with energies of five to ten kiloelectronvolts to successively ionize injected gas.
electron-beam lithography, electron beam lithography, e-beam lithography
1. Lithography in which radiation-sensitive film is exposed to an electron beam.
2. The practice of scanning a beam of electrons in a patterned fashion across a surface covered with a film called the resist, exposing the resist, and of selectively removing either exposed or non-exposed regions of the resist called, "developing".
3. Lithography in which the radiation-sensitive film or resist is placed in the vacuum chamber of a scanning-beam electron microscope and exposed by an electron beam under digital computer control.

After exposure, the film is removed from the vacuum chamber for conventional development and other production processes.

electron-beam magnetometer, electron beam magnetometer
1. An instrument that measures the magnetic intensity of a magnetic field according to the movement and intensity of an electron beam, which passes through the field.
2. An instrument which measures the intensity and direction of magnetic forces by the immersion of an electron beam into the magnetic field.
electron-beam parametric amplifier, electron beam parametric amplifier (s) (noun); electron-beam parametric amplifiers, electron beam parametric amplifiers (pl)
1. A device that boosts a signal by varying the energy pumped from an electrostatic field into an electron beam traveling down the length of a tube, and then manipulating the beam at either end of the tube.
2. A parametric amplifier in which energy is pumped from an electrostatic field into a beam of electrons traveling down the length of the tube, and electron couplers impress the input signal at one end of the tube and translate spiraling electron motion into electric output at the other end.
electron-beam pumping, electron beam pumping
1. A process in which an electron beam provides the energy necessary to move the majority of electrons in a semiconductor out of a ground condition.
2. The use of an electron beam to produce excitation for population inversion and lasing action in a semiconductor laser.
electron-beam recorder, electron beam recorder
1. An instrument in which an electron beam places signals or data on film in a vacuum chamber.
2. A recorder in which a moving electron beam is used to record signals or data on to photographic or thermoplastic film in a vacuum chamber.
3. A device that transfers computer data onto microfilm using an electron beam.
electron-beam tube, electron beam tube
1. An instrument; such as, a klystron (type of vacuum tube used as an amplifier), oscilloscope tube, or television picture tube, which functions through the generation of one or more electron beams.
2. An electron tube whose performance depends on the formation and control of one or more electron beams.
electron-coupled oscillator, electron coupled oscillator, ECO, Dow oscillator
1. A device that generates alternating current.

It is characterized by a circuitry that feeds a portion of the generated energy back into the system to sustain its operation, and by an electron stream that is coupled between the screen and the plate to reduce the effects of the load.

2. An oscillator employing a multigrid tube in which the cathode and two grids operate as a conventional oscillator and the electron couples the plate-circuit load to the oscillator.

The anode-circuit load is coupled to the oscillator through the electron stream.

electron-dense, electron dense
1. In electron microscopy, having a density that prevents penetration by electrons.
2. Characterized by being relatively opaque to the passage of the electron beam in an electron microscope.

Such an object will appear as a dark area on the viewing screen and photographic prints.

electron-density map, electron density map
1. A contoured representation of electron density at various points in a crystal structure expressed in electrons per cubic angstrom with the highest near atomic centers.

The map is calculated using a Fourier synthesis, a summation of waves of known phase, frequency, and amplitude.

2. A three-dimensional representation of the electron density of a molecular structure based on x-ray diffraction data.
electron-diffraction analysis, electron diffraction analysis (s) (noun); electron-diffraction analyses, electron diffraction analyses (pl)
1. The study of crystal structure by electron-diffraction methods.
2. The diffraction of electrons when they pass through crystalline matter, useful in the study of the structure of materials.
3. An examination of solid surfaces by observing the diffraction of a stream of electrons on the surfaces.

A diffraction is the bending or spreading out of waves; such as, of sound or light, as they pass around the edge of an obstacle or through a narrow opening as when light passes sharp edges or goes through narrow slits and the rays are deflected and produce fringes of light and dark bands.

electron-discharge machining, electron discharge machining, electrical discharge machining, EDM, electric spark machining; electroerosive machining; electrospark machining
1. The process of machining which is performed by electric sparks in a non-conductive liquid intervening substance.
2. A process by which materials that conduct electricity can be removed from a metal by an electric spark.

It is used to form holes with different shapes in materials that have poor machine operations.

electron-distribution curve, electron distribution curve
1. A curved line on a graph that shows the electron distribution in a solid at different energy levels.
2. A curve or line indicating the electron distribution in the different available energy levels of a solid substance.
electron-energy loss spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, electron impact spectroscopy
1. Photoelectron spectroscopy or the use of electron beams to induce transitions between electronic energy levels.

The study of the distribution of energy that is lost by scattered electrons when a substance is bombarded with monochromatic electrons.

2. A technique for studying atoms, solids, or molecules in which a substance is bombarded with monochromatic electrons, and the energies of scattered electrons are measured to determine the distribution of energy loss.