Estimation of surface excitation correction factor for 200-5000 eV in Ni from absolute elastic scattering electron spectroscopy

We have determined the surface plasmon excitation correction (SEC) factor f or nickel in the 200-5000 eV range from the ratios of the absolute elastic scattering electron intensities measured by a novel cylindrical mirror anal yser and those by the Monte Carlo method. The inelastic mean free paths (IM FPs) of nickel used for the Monte Carlo method in the energy range specifie d were calculated by the Penn algorithm. The resulting SECs were smaller th an the values calculated from Chen and Oswald general equations of surface excitation parameters (SEPs), which describe the influence of surface plasm on excitations by electrons crossing a solid surface. We also found that SE Ps (obtained from SECs) could be fitted to the equation P-s(alpha, E) = C/[ E-n cos(alpha) + C] or P-s(alpha, E) = aE(-b)/cos(alpha) (<7% root-mean-squ are error) in the 200-5000 eV energy range, where P-s is the SEP, alpha is the surface crossing angle of the electron to the surface normal, n(= 0.41) , C(= 5.39), a(= 1.7) and b(= 0.29) are parameters and E is the electron en ergy. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.