In order to determine the work function, films were deposited by e-beam deposition. It was found that films with a low oxygen content were (100) preferentially oriented. The work function was measured independently using thermal emission and field emission, yielding values of 2.67 and 2.91eV, respectively. This suggested that e-beam deposited films preserved the low work function of bulk material.

Work Function of e-Beam Deposited Lanthanum Hexaboride Film. Qi, K., Wang, X., Lin, Z., Chen, W., Cao, G.: High Power Laser and Particle Beams, 2010, 22[1], 181-4