Composite Material Studies for Low Temperature Thermionic Emission

摘要

The primary objectives of this project were to prepare and measure thephotoemissive properties of metal-semiconductor inhomogeneous composite systems for use as low temperature thermionic emitters. The system investigated in this study was Au-CuInSe2 where the Au was in the form of particles 5-50 nm in size dispersed throughout p-type CuInSe2. Much like oxide-coated cathodes the surface of this composite must be treated in order to reduce the barrier to emission of electrons. If the electron affinity of the semiconductor is made close to zero or negative by appropriate surface treatments one has a system with an electron thermal energy barrier of 1 eV at room temperature. (MM).