Cathodoluminescence, reflectivity changes, and accumulation of graphitic carbon during electron beam aging of phosphors

We demonstrate that extended $e$ -beam exposure produces a contaminating overlayer on phosphors whose opacity increases roughly linearly with time. Raman scattering data and optical analysis indicate that this layer is graphitic in nature, arising from the electron-beam-stimulated conversion of hydrocarbons adsorbed from the vacuum ambient. The presence of this contamination optically attenuates emitted cathodoluminescence, prevents many low energy electrons from ever reaching the phosphor grains, and exacerbates surface charging which reduces the arrival energy of electrons above 1.5–2 keV. All of these effects are shown to impact cathodoluminescent output in an important way, but an accurate accounting of their total impact will be required to assess the importance of other degradation mechanisms like enhanced nonradiative electron-hole recombination at surfaces, both carbon and noncarbon related.