TEY device operating near liquid nitrogen temperature

Total electron yield (TEY) in He gas at atmospheric pressure is a data acquisition technique particularly well suited for X-ray spectroscopy measurements performed on coatings. We have developed a TEY detector which can operate close to liquid nitrogen temperature. The novelty of the design consists of a dissociation between the cooling body and the electronic measurement system: the electrically biased collector and the grounded sample are both mounted on a sample holder which is introduced under a permanent He gas flow in the cryostat. Measurements performed on standard pure materials allow investigation of the EXAFs amplitude improvements corresponding to the lowering of the temperature. We also report signal variations observed on thin nanocrystalline films and amorphous alloys.