A measurement of the local electric field on field emitter crystals using T-F emission

A method is introduced to measure in situ the absolute value of the local field strength on the surface of a field emitter tip by using T- F emission. The method is based on the unified theory of electron emission (Christov) which is now experimentally well confirmed. The method is tested on several single crystal faces of tungsten tips. The absolute value of the local field can be determined within an error of about 5%. Relative field strengths at different points on one single crystal face can be measured with an error of 2%. Once the absolute value of the field strength is thus measured, the absolute value of the work function can be obtained additionally, but so far only with a fairly great error.