SURFACE EXCITATION PARAMETER IN QUANTITATIVE SURFACE ANALYSIS BY ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY

The investigation of influence of surface effects on the energy spectra of elect rons is essential for comprehensive understanding of electron-solid interactions as well as quantitative analysis. The accuracy of the analysis depends on the m odels for elastic and inelastic interactions. Electrons impinging on a solid or escaping from it suffer losses in the surface layer. The energy loss spectra the refore have contributions from surface excitations. The role of surface excitati ons is characterized by surface excitation parameter (SEP), which indicates the number of surface plasmons created by an electron crossing the surface. The imag inary part of complex self-energy of an electron is related to the energy loss c ross section. SEP is numerically computed using self-energy formalism and compar ed with the results as described and calculated by different workers.