Soft X-Ray Induced Electron Emission

A simple model is described for predicting the yield and energy spectrum of photo and Auger electrons emitted from materials exposed to x-rays with energies in the 0.10 to 10 keV range. The input data required is kept to a minimum and, aside from x-ray absorption coefficients, requires only electron backscatter coefficients and continuous slowing down ranges. Empirical expressions are provided in this paper which approximate these latter quantities for most materials of interest. The model has been applied to twenty different materials for which experimental data is available and is found to reproduce the results very well. A number of these comparisons are described. A simple procedure is also outlined for obtaining the low energy secondary electron yields. Finally, the kind of information needed to reduce existing uncertainties is reviewed.