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Paper
Breakdown of thin-film emitters
Abstract
The examination of thin-film emitters in the scanning electron microscope has revealed a mechanism by which they break down. The top film is continuous when emission is first obtained from the device but microscopic punctures appear after a short period of operation and the emission becomes unstable. Eventually the device ceases to conduct as the number and size of the micropunctures increase. © 1972 The American Institute of Physics.