Low energy electron elastic reflection from solid surfaces

Using our Monte-Carlo (MC) code, we calculated the ratio of the coefficients of elastic reflection of electrons from Si, SiO2 and Au to those of Cu and Al in the electron energy range 0.2–1.0 and 1.5 keV (Au–Cu), respectively. The electron scattering was simulated by a single scattering model. For the MC calculations, we compared the elastic differential cross-sections calculated using a static field approximation with relativistic partial wave analysis on either the Thomas–Fermi–Dirac potential of free atoms (TFD model) or the Hartree–Fock–Wigner–Seitz (muffin-tin) potential of atoms in the solid state (HFWS model). The MC data were compared with the experimental values. For both models, reasonably good agreement for Si–Cu and SiO2–Cu systems was found. In the Au–Cu system, better agreement was achieved using the TFD model. The addition of C in a surface interaction layer of 2–5 nm improves the agreement between simulated and experimental values for the Si–Al and Si–SiO2 systems.