Influence of MeV Gamma Photons on Thermally Stimulated Exoelectron Emission from MgO Films

The effect of 6 MeV gamma photons on thermally stimulated exoelectron emission (TSEE) spectra of MgO films was studied. The films were fabricated on Si/SiO2 substrates using the extraction-pyrolytic method. The crystalline structure and surface morphology of the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). TSEE spectra of MgO films had emission peaks at about 450 oC and 525 oC. The area under the TSEE peaks increased after repeated TSEE measurements. In the case of gamma-irradiated films, the percentage increase in the area depended on the radiation dose, decreasing linearly with an increase in the radiation dose from 0 to 80 Gy. The results suggest that gamma radiation reduced the density of trapped electrons present in the as-grown MgO films or created competing hole traps that inhibited TSEE from the films.