High field assisted photoemission currents from silicon photocathodes

Abstract

Silicon photocathodes with arrays of tips have been prepared using microlithographic techniques. Current emission due to field effect has been measured in the case of heavy and weakly doped boron silicon. An argon continuous laser has been used to produce photocurrent. An instantaneous current (600 μA) with a moderate laser power (83 mW) has been produced on weakly doped photocathodes. This current corresponds to an average quantum yield (purely photoelectric) of about 1.7% and a local current density in the range of a few 10 6 A m −2.