Simulation of x-ray spectra generated by electron impact on solids

A simulation algorithm that generates x-ray emission spectra of samples irr adiated with kilovolt electron beams was developed. The algorithm is based on a Monte Carlo package which performs simulations of both electron and ph oton transport for arbitrary materials and geometries. The code uses semi-e mpirical ionization cross-sections obtained from an optical data model and a simple model to describe the angular distribution of bremsstrahlung photo ns, The simulation efficiency is optimized by the use of a variance reducti on technique. The reliability of the simulation code was analyzed by compar ing the results with electron probe measurements for different specimens an d measurement conditions, including thin films and oblique incidence. In ge neral, there was good agreement between the simulation results and experien ces. Copyright (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.