Electron-Induced Secondary Electron Emission Properties of MgO/Au Composite Thin Film Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering

Abstract

As a type of electron-induced secondary electron emitter, MgO/Au composite thin film was prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering of individual Mg target and Au target, and the effects of key process parameters on its surface morphology and secondary electron emission (SEE) properties were investigated. It is found that to deposit a NiO buffer layer on the substrate is conducive to the subsequent growth of MgO grains owing to the lattice matching. The gold addition can raise the electrical conductivity of MgO film and further suppress the surface charging. However, the gold deposition would interfere with the MgO crystallization and increase the surface roughness of MgO/Au film. Therefore, MgO/Au composite thin film with a NiO buffer layer and proper deposition times of MgO and Au can achieve superior SEE properties due to good MgO crystallization, low surface roughness and reasonable electrical conductivity. The optimized MgO/Au composite thin film has a higher SEE coefficient and a lower 1-h SEE degradation rate under electron beam bombardment in comparison with MgO film.