Spectral response and surface layer thickness of GaAs:Cs-O negative electron affinity photocathode

Abstract

On-line spectral response curves of GaAs:Cs-O NEA photo- cathode of reflection model is first presented and the relation between spectral response curves and the thickness of Cs-O layer is discussed. When Cs and O is deposited on the surface of cleaning GaAs wafer, photo-cathode's spectral response rises sharply and long-wavelength threshold tends to a fixed value at the beginning of the activation. But, as Cs and O are deposited continually, spectral response rises slowly and the long-wavelength threshold tends to be shortened. When a fine thickness of Cs-O layer is reached, the optimum spectral response is obtained. As a quantity Cs-O is further increased, both the spectral response and the long-wavelength threshold decrease. The thickness of GaAs photo-cathode surface layer that consists of Cs-O layer and GaAs-O layer is researched by take-off angle XPS technology. Thickness of Cs-O layer is approximately equal to 0.7 nm, and the GaAs-O layer is approximately 0.2nm. Our experiments show when the thickness of Cs-O layer is approximately equal to 0.7nm, and the GaAs-O layer is approximately 0.2mm. Our experiments show when the thickness of Cs-O layer is 0.7nm or so and the GaAs-O layer tend to be disappeared, NEA photo-cathode with the optimum spectral response is achieved which can be used widely in low-light level imaging detectors.