Surface Potential of Magnesium Oxide Thin Films Prepared by Metal Organic Decomposition MOD

Abstract

Magnesium oxide (MgO) thin films are often used as protective layers of dielectrics in an AC-plasma display panel (AC-PDP) to improve the discharge characteristics and lifetime of the panel, because of their physical stability, high transmittance and secondary electron emission coefficient. Conventional MgO thin films which are typically deposited by electron beam deposition in vacuum, act as gas getters in the panel. In this study we investigated the surface morphology, chemical species for consistency and outgassing impurities of protective MgO thin films, along with PDP manufacturing steps, by photoelectron spectroscopy in air (PESA) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). We prepared metal oxide films, that is, MgO thin films, on SiO₂/Si substrates by coating using the metal organic decomposition (MOD) process. High-quality of MgO thin films on SiO2/Si substrates were successfully obtained by heating at a temperature of 900 ℃. A surface potential was induced on a MgO thin film by ultra violet (UV) light irradiation. KPFM showed that a very high surface potential exists, probably due to the high secondary electron emission from the MgO surface induced by UV light irradiation.