The electron emission characteristics of GaAs photocathode with vacuum-channel structure

The photocathode was an ideal electronic source with fast response, centralized distribution of electronic capabilities, and many other advantages. But for its low emission current density and short lifetime at ion bombardment environment, it will not be used in power devices and large scientific devices. Although the emission current of the photocathode can be increased with the aid of electric filed, it was not reach the milliamperelevel. In the field emission cathode, the strong electric field can effectively reduce the surface barrier of the emitter, so that the cathode produces electron emission. Based on the photoelectric conversion mechanism of photocathode and the electron emission theory of field emission cathode, a vacuum channel structure photocathode module is designed. The cathode modules with GaAs substrate were fabricated by the peritoneal and etching process. The parameters of vacuum channel were 3 μm × 700 μm, and its array structure was 1 × 100. The deep of the vacuum channels were 400 nm. It can be seen from the test result, the emission current of the photocathode was 26.12 mA with the laser beam power 5 W, and its emission current density was 5.33 A/cm2. During cathode operation, the laser beam and emission will cause the temperature of the photocathode material to rise, and this could icreasing the conductivity of the GaAs, the efficiency of electron supplement from negative electrode to electron emission area of the GaAs will also be improving. Its emission current could reach 89.69 mA at 400 ℃. Because there is no active atom on the photocathode surface, its lifetime was longer than the traditional photocathode that astivated by Cs/O. The life test of the photocathode modules was carried out, its emission current was 4.5 mA ± 0.3 mA within the 144 h, and its performance was not attenuate significantly. The vacuum channel was the main area of the photocatode electron emission, and the shape of electron beam can be easily obtained by adjusting the structure of the vacuum channel parameters. This advantage can improve the applicability of high current density photocathode in vacuum electronic devices and equipment.