Abstract
Field electron emission from extended Cu electrodes after cleaning by electric arcs has been compared with field emission from gas-covered monocrystalline W points when subjected to ion bombardment from the residual gas. With both emission systems, exposure to argon or to hydrogen in the pressure range 10-5-10-2 Pa caused two subsequent stages: an emission growth explained as the removal of adsorbed gases (stage 1), and a noisy increase of the emission explained as sharpening due to surface migration of metal atoms (stage 2). With Cu there occurred a third stage: a decrease of the emission explained as reduction of the emitters by sputtering. The time constant tau 1 of the first stage was found to be proportional to the product p-1i0-1SFN12/, p being the gas pressure, i0 the initial electron-current, and SFN the apparent emitting surface determined from Fowler-Nordheim plots. The proportionality factor is given for the metals and gases used. The completely analogous behaviour of W points and Cu electrodes in stages 1 and 2 indicates an analogy between the emitting sites in both cases.
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