Photoelectric workfunctions of metals oxide films and emission characteristics of molybdenum emitter tips with oxide coatings

Photoelectric work functions of flat thin metal oxides of interest as potential field emission sources for field emission displays have been measured using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. The samples which include molybdenum, lanthanum strontium cobalt oxide, lead zirconium titanate, lead niobium zirconium titanate have also been characterized with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. In addition, field emission measurements have been made with molybdenum and molybdenum coated field emission tips using single tip-gated aperture diodes mounted on a micromechanical motion control system. In these measurements, an electron decelerating lens and a hemispherical electron spectrometer is positioned behind the gated aperture so field emitted electrons passing through the aperture may be decelerated and their energy distribution measured. The emission characteristics and electron energy distributions were measured at different electric field strengths to determine the range of validity of the Fowler-Nordheim equation for the various emitter surfaces.