Thermionic emission is a phenomenon in which electrons are emitted from a material, typically a metal or semiconductor, when it is heated to a high temperature. This occurs because heating the material provides sufficient energy to overcome the work function, which is the minimum energy required for an electron to escape from the surface of the material. In thermionic emission, as the temperature of the material increases, more electrons acquire enough thermal energy to break free from the attractive potential of the atomic lattice.
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