Temperature enhancement of secondary electron emission from hydrogenated diamond films

The effect of temperature on the stability of the secondary electron emission (SEE) yield from ∼100-nm -thick continuous diamond films is reported. At room temperature, the SEE yield was found to decay as a function of electron irradiation dose. The SEE yield is observed to increase significantly upon heating of the diamond surface. Furthermore, by employing moderate temperatures, the decay of the SEE yield observed at room temperature is inhibited, showing a nearly constant yield with electron dose at 200 °C. The results are explained in terms of the temperature dependence of the electron beam-induced hydrogen desorption from the diamond surface and surface band bending. These findings demonstrate that the longevity of diamond films in practical applications of SEE can be increased by moderate heating.