In spite of the negative electron affinity of Ne atoms, appreciable concentrations of electrons can be trapped in solid neon layers formed by depositing the gas on a cold substrate with concurrent electron irradiation. These are trapped at defect sites, and can be promoted into the conduction band in an annealing experiment. They can then recombine with positive charges producing vacuum ultraviolet "thermoluminescence," but can also be extracted from the solid, and detected as an "exoelectron" current. The thermally stimulated exoelectron emission profiles of the electron current versus temperature reveal two broad features near 7.5 and 10 K. These are shown to correspond to two distributions of electron trapping sites with slightly differing activation energies. For the narrower, higher temperature maximum, an average activation energy of about 23 meV is deduced, in good agreement with predictions based on the theory of electronic defect formation.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) and thermally stimulated exoelectron emission (TSEE) methods were used in combination with cathodoluminescence to probe electronically induced defects in solid Ne. The defects were generated by a low energy electron beam. For spectroscopic study we used Ar * centers in Ne matrix as a model system. At a temperature of 10.5 K a sharp decrease in the intensity of «defect» components in the luminescence spectrum was observed. From the analysis of the corresponding peak in the TSL and TSEE yields the trap depth energy was estimated and compared with available theoretical calculations. The obtained data support the model suggested by Song, that stable electronically induced defects have the configuration of second-neighbour Frenkel pairs.