Editing Electron gun (section)

== Applications ==
[[file:Schottky-Emitter 01.jpg|thumb|left|Schottky-emitter electron source of an [[electron microscope]]]]

The most common use of electron guns is in [[cathode-ray tube]]s, which were widely used in computer and television monitors before the advent of flat screen displays. Most color cathode-ray tubes incorporate three electron guns, each one producing a different stream of electrons. Each stream travels through a [[shadow mask]] where the electrons will impinge upon either a [[RGB colour model|red, green or blue]] [[phosphor]] to light up a color [[pixel]] on the screen. The resultant color that is seen by the viewer will be a combination of these three [[primary color]]s.

An [[electron]] gun can also be used to [[ionize]] particles by adding electrons to, or removing electrons from an [[atom]]. This technology is sometimes used in [[mass spectrometry]] in a process called [[electron ionization]] to ionize [[vaporized]] or [[gaseous]] particles. More powerful electron guns are used for welding, metal coating, [[Electron-beam additive manufacturing|3D metal printer]]s, metal powder production and vacuum furnaces.

Electron guns are also used in medical applications to produce [[X-rays]] using a linac (linear accelerator); a high energy electron beam hits a target, stimulating emission of [[X-rays]].

Electron guns are also used in [[travelling-wave tube]] amplifiers for microwave frequencies.<ref name=THTW2015>{{Cite journal|first1=Jack|last1=Copeland|first2=Andre A.|last2=Haeff|title=The True History of the Traveling Wave Tube|journal=IEEE Spectrum| date=September 2015 |volume=52|issue=9|pages=38–43|doi=10.1109/MSPEC.2015.7226611|s2cid=36963575}}</ref>