Implementation of the orthodoxy test as a validity check on experimental field emission data

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simple quantitative orthodoxy test for validating experimental field emission data, ensuring the reliability of extracted parameters from standard plots like FN, ML, and MG.

Contribution

It develops a theory-based orthodoxy test applicable to multiple plot forms and provides a web tool for easy validation of field emission data.

Findings

The orthodoxy test confirms the reasonableness of scaled-field values.

It is easily applicable to FN, ML, and MG plots.

A web tool facilitates practical implementation.

Abstract

In field electron emission (FE) studies, it is important to check and analyse the quality and validity of experimental current-voltage data, which is usually plotted in one of a small number of standard forms. These include the so-called Fowler-Nordheim (FN), Millikan-Lauritsen (ML) and Murphy-Good (MG) plots. The Field Emission Orthodoxy Test is a simple quantitative test that aims to check for the reasonableness of the values of the parameter "scaled field" that can be extracted from these plots. This is done in order to establish whether characterization parameters extracted from the plot will be reliable or, alternative, likely to be spurious. This paper summarises the theory behind the orthodoxy test, for each of the plot forms, and confirms that it is easy to apply it to the newly developed MG plot. A simple web tool has been developed that extracts scaled-field values from any of these three plot forms, and tests for lack of field emission orthodoxy.