The Energy Spectra of Secondary Electrons

Abstract It has been estimated that more than 90% of all scanning electron microscope (SEM) images ever published have been obtained using secondary electrons (SE) which are defined as those electrons emitted with energies between 0 and 50 eV. The properties of these secondary electrons are therefore of considerable interest and importance. However, although secondary electrons have been intensively studied since their discovery by Starke in 1901, the majority of the work has been aimed at determining the SE yield coefficient and its variation with energy for elements and compounds. The energy spectrum of secondary electrons has received far less attention although it is evident that the form of the spectrum must have an effect on the image contrast observed in the SEM because SE detectors are energy selective devices. The few studies that have been made have mostly concentrated on spectra obtained from clean samples observed under ultra-high vacuum conditions.