Reflection of keV-energy electrons from multilayer surfaces

The energy spectra of electrons reflected from multilayer targets are studied theoretically and experimentally. A self-consistent theory of electron reflection from multilayer surfaces is constructed. Simple analytical models of electron reflection that illustrate the feasibility of the depth profiling of multilayer targets are presented. The energy spectra of electrons normally incident on Nb/Si and Nb/Al/Nb/Si targets and reflected from them at an angle of 45° to the normal are taken. A method for the depth profiling of such structures is elaborated.     

Extraction of cross-sections of inelastic scattering from energy spectra of reflected atomic particles

REELS spectra of the electrons reflected off niobium are measured with energy resolution <0.5 eV within the 5–40 eV energy range of the probing beam. The measurements were performed for the scattering angles θ = 45° and θ = 120° by means of two electron guns. The process of energy losses is described within the framework of a model with three different energy loss laws: surface, intermediate, and bulk layers are considered. Differential cross-sections of inelastic scattering are represented in the form of simple equations.     

Influence of multiple elastic scattering on the shape of the elastically scattered electron peak

The influence of multiple elastic scattering on the shape of the energy distribution of elastically scattered electrons is investigated. The energy of the maximum intensity of the detected electrons differs from the probe electron beam energy due to the elastic energy loss. The experimentally observed spectrum is adequately described by a Gaussian distribution with a maximum at the elastic energy loss value. In this paper the peak-broadening mechanisms due to energy-analyzer spread function, probe beam energy distribution and atomic vibration-induced broadening are considered to be independent and of random nature. Analysis of multiple elastic scattering shows some mechanisms leading to the broadening and a shift of the elastic scattering electron energy spectrum from the value defined by single elastic scattering at the certain angle. It is revealed that the magnitude of this shift and the width of energy distribution is determined by ratio (_lin/_ltr)$(l_{\text{in}}/l_{\text{tr}})$, where _lin$l_{\text{in}}$ is inelastic mean free pass, _ltr$l_{\text{tr}}$ is the transport length.     

Al/Nb interface study based on the analysis of the energy spectra of reflected electrons

The interface between a Nb layer deposited on an Al layer is studied via comparison of measured and calculated reflected electron energy loss spectra. The interface region analysis is performed after layer-by-layer sputtering of the sample combined with Auger monitoring of its component composition. The elaborated spectrum calculation technique makes it possible to characterize Al and Nb distributions in the interface region with a nanometer resolution. The possibility of determining the number of phases at the Al/Nb interface is discussed.     

Measurement of the isotope composition of hydrogen in carbon materials using elastically scattered electron peak spectroscopy

The quantitative composition of hydrogen and helium isotopes in the surface layers of structural materials is reconstructed using the developed technique for processing the energy spectra of electrons scattered from plane-parallel layers of solids into a preset solid angle element. These are the spectra measured with a high energy resolution ΔE ∷ 0.2−0.4 eV. The change in the shape of peaks for elastically scattered electrons is analyzed depending on the probe electron beam energy and experimental geometry. The theory of electrons scattered from plane-parallel layers of solids is constructed using the solution of the boundary value problem for the transfer equation by invariant immersion methods. The analytic solution to the system of equations is found in the small-angle approximation for the reflection and transmission functions. The results of calculations are compared with experimental data on electron scattering from polyethylene. The shape of the energy spectra of electron scattering from deuterium and tritium is predicted. The sensitivity threshold of the method relative to percentage concentration of hydrogen isotopes in hydrocarbons is analyzed.     

Electron spectroscopy as applied to the layer-by-layer analysis of hydrocarbon coatings produced by ion-plasma deposition

The results of the nondestructive layer-by-layer analysis of hydrocarbon coatings, which is carried out by means of the electron spectroscopy method, are presented. The coating is prepared using the ion-plasma-deposition technique. Analysis of the elemental composition is performed with the help of X-ray photoelectron and Auger electron spectroscopies. The hydrogen concentration is determined via elastic peak electron spectroscopy. The coating structure is investigated by means of electron energy-loss spectroscopy.     

Kilovolt electron backscattering

We present here the results of experiments measuring the energy spectra of electrons backscattered from massive homogeneous Al, Cu, Pd and W targets, with the probing beam primary energyE ₀ varying from 4–32 keV. We have developed the electron backscattering theory based on solving the Boltzmann equation boundary problem by the invariant imbedding method and calculation of inelastic energy loss with the modified Landau function. Comparison of the calculated with experimental data shows that this expanded theory adequately describes the electron reflection processes.     

Analysis of depth profiles of hydrogen isotopes in structural materials via reflected electron spectroscopy

Methods for measuring the layer-by-layer profiles of hydrogen in structural materials based on interpretation of the energy spectra of electrons reflected within a given spatial angle are discussed. Elastically reflected spectroscopy makes it possible to determine the hydrogen isotope content, but its implementation requires an energy resolution on the order of 1 eV. In the experimental implementation of the method based on analysis of the domelike part of the spectrum of reflected electrons, the required energy resolution of an analyzer is about 1%. Such a level of resolution makes it possible to measure the spectrum for several seconds. The possibilities of this method are illustrated with the use of hydrocarbon coatings.     

Angular distributions of electrons and light ions elastically reflected from a solid surface

The angular distributions of elastically reflected electrons are described on the basis of the transfer equation for a radiation particle. The exact solution of the problem is obtained. This solution is compared with experimental spectra of elastically reflected electrons and with the approximate solutions.