Apparatus and method for measuring energy of electrons
US10386314B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 2, 2016 |
| Grant date | Aug 20, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 2, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2223/6116
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Electrons excited by irradiation of a visible light to a sample is at an energy level lower than a vacuum level, thus photoelectrons are not emitted from the sample and energy of excited electrons cannot be measured. The visible light is irradiated to the sample through a mesh electrode. A surface film for reducing the vacuum level is formed on a surface of the sample. With the surface film being formed, photoelectrons are obtained by the visible light, and these photoelectrons are accelerated by the mesh electrode toward a photoelectron spectrometer. Ultraviolet light may be irradiated to the sample and metal having same potential therewith. In this case, the mesh electrode is set at a retracted position to prohibit interaction of the mesh electrode and the ultraviolet light. A difference between the valence band and the Fermi level of the sample can be measured.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.