The role of cesium suboxides in low-work-function surface layers studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy - Ag-O-Cs

The oxidation of cesium on silver substrates has been studied using photoyield measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The occurrence of two O1s peaks in the core-level spectrum at 527.5 and 531.5-eV binding energy for cesium and oxygen exposures giving the optimum photoyield proves that two oxides of cesium exist in high-photoyield surfaces, and not Cs2O alone as previously thought. From the shape and position of the cesium peaks and the Auger parameter, the assignment of the O1s peaks at 527.5- and 531.5-eV binding energies to oxygen in Cs2O and Cs11O3, respectively, can be made. Hence the total cesium-oxygen layer is a mixed phase consisting of Cs2O + Cs11O3, approximately 20-40 A thick.