The Relation between the Electron Backscattering Coefficients and Elastic Peak Intensity for C, Si, Cu, Ag, and Au at Low Energy Range

This study compares the backscattered electron coefficient (η) with the elastically scattered electrons coefficient (ε) for the increasingly used low electron beam energies in microscopy; low voltage electron microscopy (LVSEM) and low energy scanning electron microscopy (SLEEM/LEEM). The backscattering factor has been an extensively studied and used property of materials across the periodic table and at various beam energies. ε, however, has also been extensively used as material property but only at relatively low incident electron beam energies, and mostly in surface analysis where the material studied is under ultra-high vacuum conditions, unlike η which is mostly used or studied under high vacuum environment. Both η and ε were theoretically calculated using the Monte Carlo model based on the Geant 4 library and tools. These calculations were carried out for C, Si, Cu, Ag, and Au for electron beam energies in the range of 100 eV to 1 keV. The backscattering coefficient in this electron energy range is found to exhibit intriguing properties. Furthermore, the results indicate a direct relationship between η and ε.