| Abstract: | The photoelectron energy corresponding to the Fermi level of an investigated specimen and the onset energy for detection of secondary electrons are two characteristic energy values that can be used for work-function evaluation. Secondary-electron onset measurements are usually carried out by applying an acceleration voltage between the specimen and the spectrometer entrance, giving a structured secondary-electron spectrum showing three types of secondary electrons: those from the specimen, those from the entrance-slit system, and those from the X-ray tube window. For the latter electrons the electrical field built up in the sample chamber acts as an energy analyzer, imaging a discrete energy interval onto the spectrometer entrance slit. The variation of energy and intensity of these “ghost-lines” is discussed as a function of the applied acceleration voltage and the specimen tilting angle, leading to optimized experimental parameters for recording of secondary-electron spectra. |
