Synthesis of Bulk Lanthanum and Neodymium Sulfide Samples
Send an email
to marc.cahay@uc.edu
for information regarding any related publications.
Below is a micrograph of a LaS bulk sample grown in our lab
using a sesquisulfide route. The golden yellow samples are formed of
microcrystals of several tens of microns in size. The best work function
of some of the samples grown to date has been recorded at 2.6 eV for LaS
and 2.7 eV for NdS using a Kelvin probe technique. This is comparable to
the work function of Lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6).
This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under
award ECS 9906053 ("The use of sulfides of
rare-earth elements to achieve durable negative electron affinity cold
cathodes, photocathodes, and polarized electron sources").
Micrograph of a LaS bulk sample.
On August 28, 2001, we made our first 2" target of LaS to be used
for RF magnetron sputtering of thin films on various substrates.
The picture below shows the LaS target prior to the sintering
step to be carried in a high-temperature furnace.
Pictures of some pellets of rare-earth sulfides prepared using a carbon reduction
technique to remove the oxysulfide phase.
Back One Page 
Next Page