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

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Abstract
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 Å thick.

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