Measurement of ion‐induced secondary electron emission yield of MgO films by pulsed ion beam method

Abstract

Measurement of the ion‐induced secondary electron emission coefficient (γ i ) for insulating films is hampered by an unavoidable charging problem. Here, we demonstrate that a pulsed ion beam technique is a viable solution to the problem, allowing for accurate measurement of γ i for insulating materials. To test the feasibility of the pulsed ion beam method, the secondary electron emission coefficient from n‐Si(100) is measured and compared with the result from the conventional continuous beam method. It is found that the γ i from n‐Si(100) by the ion pulsed beam measured to be 0.34, which is the same as that obtained by continuous ion beam. However, for the 1000 Å SiO 2 films thermally deposited on Si substrate, the measurement of γ i could be carred out by the pulsed ion method, even though the continuous beam method faced charging problem. Thus, the pulsed ion beam is regarded to be one of the most suitable methods for measuring secondary electron coefficient for the surface of insulator materials without experiencing charging problem. In this report, the dependence of γ i on the kinetic energy of He + is presented for 1000 Å SiO 2 films. And the secondary electron emission coefficient of 1000 Å MgO e‐beam‐evaporated on SiO 2 / Si is obtained using the pulsing method for He + and Ar + with energy ranging from 50 to 200 eV, and then compared with those from the conventional continuous method.