Application of a scanning electron microscope in simulating a beta-emission-induced current

The current induced by emission from a thin ⁶³Ni layer is simulated with allowance for the real spectrum of ejected electrons and their angular distribution in Si and GaN. The calculated results are compared with simulation data obtained for a monoenergetic electron beam perpendicular to the semiconductor detector. For both Si and GaN, the ratio between the currents induced by the SEM beam and β emission from ⁶³Ni is demonstrated to be almost completely independent of the diffusion length, if the electron-beam energy of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) is appropriately selected.