Theoretical description of electron transport in solids is important in radiation physics, electron lithography, electron-probe microanalysis, analytical electron microscopy, and surface analysis by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In these and other applications, the trajectories of electrons in a solid are generally modified by single and multiple elastic-scattering events. An evaluation of the effects of elastic scattering on the process of interest requires knowledge of the cross sections for electron elastic scattering by the constituent atoms of the particular solid...
Dr. C. J. Powell
phone: (301) 975-2534
Prof. F. Salvat
phone: (+34) 9340 21186
Prof. A. Jablonski
phone: (+48) 22-343-3331
The differential cross section for elastic scattering of electrons by an atom with respect to solid angle is equal to the sum of the squares of the direct and spin-flip scattering amplitudes. These amplitudes are defined in terms of the phase shifts for spin-up and spin-down scattering. Further information: A. Jablonski, F. Salvat, and C. J. Powell, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 33, 409 (2004); F. Salvat, A. Jablonski, and C. J. Powell, Comput. Phys. Commun. 165, 157 (2005).
The transport cross section is defined as the “quotient of the fractional momentum loss of a particle incident on the sample arising from elastic scattering by the areic density of the sample atoms, for an infinitesimally thin sample” (International Standard ISO 18115-1:2013, Surface chemical analysis – Vocabulary – Part 1: General terms and terms used in spectroscopy (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, available from AVS ). The transport cross section describes the mean fractional momentum loss with respect to the initial direction of the electron due to elastic scattering alone. Further information: A. Jablonski, F. Salvat, and C. J. Powell, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 33, 409 (2004); F. Salvat, A. Jablonski, and C. J. Powell, Comput. Phys. Commun. 165, 157 (2005).