Abstract
Electrode surface conditions, particularly on anode surfaces, which influence the vacuum breakdown phenomena, were investigated by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) under a steady state prebreakdown condition. An experimental apparatus for the prebreakdown currents and the XPS system were built in the same vacuum chamber to enable in-situ measurements. The anode surface conditions were controlled with Ar ion etching and oxidation. Electrode material used was Cu. The anode surface conditions altered the slope of Fowler-Nordheim plots obtained from prebreakdown current-voltage characteristics. The oxidized anode gave a steep slope. Mass analysis of the prebreakdown carrier revealed that dominant ion components were H2O+ for clean anodes and O+ for oxidized anodes. The peak shift of Cu LMM Auger spectra for oxidized anodes was reduced after the prebreakdown current flow. However, O1S, Cu2p1/2 and Cu2p3/2 lines did not show the chemical shift. From these results, it was concluded that desorbed materials from the anode surface deposit on the cathode changed the field electron emission property.
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