Charge deposition distributions in targets irradiated by electrons

Charge deposition in targets consisting of materials with atomic numbers from 6 to 92 irradiated by normally impinging broad electron beams with energies from 0.1 to 10 keV is studied. Using the modification of trajectory rotation method [Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 108 (1996) 276], the data on primary electron charge deposition distributions in the targets are obtained. The mechanism of charge deposition distribution shaping in small-size spatial regions in a target is analyzed. The role of stochastic wandering of electrons in charge deposition near inhomogeneities in a target is discussed. It is noted that ignoring the electron stochastic wandering may lead to artifacts in calculations and erroneous conclusions about charge deposition near interfaces in heterogeneous targets