Tuning the secondary electron yield and electronic conductivity of MgZnO multilayers synthesized by Atomic layer deposition

Abstract: Secondary electron emission (SEE), arising from the interaction of energetic electrons with material surfaces, can induce deleterious effects in vacuum radio-frequency (RF) systems, notably multipacting, thereby degrading performance and threatening device integrity. Despite extensive efforts, effective and widely adopted mitigation strategies remain limited. Here, we report an approach to simultaneously tailor SEE and electrical conductivity using nanometric multi-element multilayers deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The design and fabrication of these heterostructures are presented, and a range of films is systematically characterized to establish correlations between emission properties, electrical conductivity, chemical and structural features. We demonstrate that such heterostructures enable combinations of total electron emission yield (TEEY) and conductivity unattainable in single-phase materials, including regimes combining high TEEY with relatively high conductivity and low TEEY with low conductivities. These results open new avenues for the rational design of functional surfaces for vacuum electronic applications.