Work function of polycrystalline Ag, Au and Al

Abstract Work functions of polycrystalline Ag, Au and Al films were measured by the photoelectric method, which were deposited on amorphous quartz. These films were preferentially oriented, and an oriented plane, i.e. (111), and a degree of orientation were determined precisely by X-ray diffraction. The work functions of well-defined polycrystalline Ag increased from 4.3 5 to 4.6 4 eV after annealing at 500°C, but those of Au and Al remain almost unchanged after annealing at 350°C, i.e. 5.40 and 4.30 eV, respectively. The low work function of Ag before annealing was explained by the appearance of the local density of state near the Fermi edge of Ag, which is due to formation of the stacking fault in f.c.c. Ag during deposition.