Photoemission and field effect

Abstract

This work contains results of investigations on photoemission in thin oxide layers in which internal electric field has been generated. In other works, secondary electrons of energy greater than that of primary electrons have been detected. This anomalous phenomenon is also expected in the case of photoemission controlled by the internal electric field. The investigated samples were microscopic glasses covered with conducting layers (SnO2:Sb). On one side photoemission was measured, whereas on the other side the polarizing voltage Upol which generated the electric field in the investigated layer was applied. Amplitude distributions of impulses for samples of various thickness and at various Upol were determined. The measurements were performed with a multichannel impulse amplitude analyzer (NTA 1024). For samples of thin emitting layers (about 10 nm) the amplitude spectra could be described with a Gaussian curve. For thicker samples (above 150 nm) and at sufficiently large negative voltage Upol, the spectra could be described with a sum of at least two Gaussian curves. This would be evidence of receiving two or more photoelectrons from a single light quantum.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.