• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.395-403
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• 2006

It is known that $MgAl_2O_4$ has higher resistance to moisture than MgO, in humid ambient MgO is chemically unstable. It reacts very easily with moisture in the air. In this study, the characteristic of $MgAl_2O_4$ and $MgAl_2O_4/MgO$ layers as dielectric protection layers for AC- PDP (Plasma Display Panel) have been investigated and analysed in comparison for conventional MgO layers. MgO and $MgAl_2O_4$ films both with a thickness of $1000\AA$ and $MgAl_2O_4/MgO$ film with a thickness of $200/800\AA$ were grown on the Cu substrates using the electron beam evaporation. $1000\AA$ thick aluminium layers were deposited on the protective layers in order to avoid the charging effect of $Ga^+$ ion beam while the focused ion beam(FIB) is being used. We obtained sputtering yieds for the MgO, $MgAl_2O_4$ and $MgAl_2O_4/MgO$ films using the FIB system. $MgAl_2O_4/MgO$ protective layers have been found th show $24{\sim}30%$ lower sputtering yield values from 0.244 up to 0.357 than MgO layers with the values from 0.364 up to 0.449 for irradiated $Ga^+$ ion beam with energies ranged from 10 kV to 14 kV. And $MgAl_2O_4$ layers have been found to show lowest sputtering yield values from 0.88 up to 0.109. Secondary electron emission coefficient(g) using the ${\gamma}$- FIB. $MgAl_2O_4/MgO$ and MgO have been found to have similar g values from 0.09 up to 0.12 for indicated $Ne^+$ ion with energies ranged from 50 V to 200 V. Observed images for the surfaces of MgO and $MgAl_2O_4/MgO$ protective layers, after discharge degradation process for 72 hours by SEM and AFM. It is found that $MgAl_2O_4/MgO$ protective layer has superior hardness and degradation resistance properties to MgO protective layer.