A study of secondary electron emission from semiconductors and insulators

Abstract

No rude approximations were made in the course of deducing formula for B(χ, E g ) as a function of parameters of secondary electron emission SEE; where B(χ, E g ) is the probability that an internal secondary electron escapes into vacuum upon reaching the surface of semiconductors and insulators SI with width of forbidden band E g and original electron affinity χ. It can be concluded that the formula for B(χ, E g ) as a function of parameters of SEE can be used to calculate B(χ, E g ). The B(χ, E g ) calculated with the formula for B(χ, E g ) as a function of parameters of SEE and characteristics of B(χ, E g ) and SEE from SI were studied, the formula for B(χ, E g ) of SI with E g ≥0.6 eV and χ≥0.5 eV as a function of χ and E g was determined. It concludes that the determined formula can be used to calculate B(χ, E g ) of SI with E g ≥0.6 eV and χ≥0.5 eV. The processes and characteristics of SEE from SI, energy loss of primary electron and parameters of SEE were studied, the formulae for δ m (E pom , χ real , E g ) in the general case and 1/α(χ real , E g ) of SI with E g ≥0.6 eV and χ≥0.5 eV were deduced and experimentally proved, respectively; where δ m (E pom , χ real , E g ) is the maximum secondary electron yield δ m of SI with E g and χ real , E pom is primary incident energy corresponding to δ m , χ real is real electron affinity,1/α(χ real , E g ) is mean escape depth of secondary electrons emitted from SI with E g and χ real .