Materials of Low Secondary Electron Emission to Prevent the Multipactor Effect in High-Power RF Devices in Space

Deposition methods of promising low secondary electron emission coatings such a TiNx, CrNx and CNx have been studied using ion assisted electron gun evaporation in nitrogen atmosphere. Surface composition, by XPS, crystalline structure, by XRD, and morphology by SEM have been studied. Secondary electron emission coefficient has been correlated with multipactor threshold power. For each material its distinguishing physical properties and its prospect for antimultipactor coating implementation as a function of the composition of the films is obtained. TiNx and CNx, both obtained in crystalline phase, appear as excellent coatings to prevent multipactor.