Radiation-stimulated erosion of field electron emitters

The features of erosion of the surface of point field electron emitters bombarded by helium ions were studied. An analysis of the ion-bombardment-induced atomic-scale surface roughness showed evidence of a nondynamic character of the surface atom displacement for the primary ion energies below a threshold for the stable Frenkel pair formation and cathode sputtering. A quasi-static mechanism of the surface erosion is considered, according to which the process is related to the displacement of metal atoms into low-coordinated positions upon evolution of the energy of formation of interstitial helium atoms.