Angular distribution of elastic electron backscattering from surfaces: determination of the electron inelastic mean free path

The development of analytical techniques based on measurements of electron elastic-backscattering probabilities stimulated an interest in the theoretical description of such phenomena. The most accurate and reliable theoretical models involve Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of electron trajectories in solids; however, this approach generally requires considerable computer effort. It has been shown that the performance of a modified analytical theory originally proposed by Oswald et al (1993 J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom. 61 251), designated with the acronym OKGM, compares reasonably well with MC calculations. The MC data are usually underestimated by the OKGM model, and the mean percentage deviation, averaged over nine elements and five energies up to 5 keV, is equal to 8.8% for typical experimental configurations. However, the agreement between ratios of backscattering probabilities from MC simulations and the OKGM model agree much better due to the fact that underestimation of backscattering probability by the OMGM theory is partially cancelled. The percentage deviation between ratios from these theoretical models decreases to 3.14%. The OKGM model should then be useful for determining inelastic mean free paths (IMFPs) from measured elastic-peak intensities. The accuracy of the obtained IMFPs is comparable with IMFPs from MC simulations.