Experimental secondary electron spectra under SEM conditions

Secondary electron spectra have been collected from both pure elements and from compounds examined under conditions approximating those found in a scanning electron microscope. Despite the presence of substantial surface contamination these spectra are found to be reproducible and characteristic of the underlying material. Typically the peak in such spectra is found to be at an energy of about 5 eV, and 50% of the total secondary electron emission falls within the range 0-12 eV. These data may be of value for the design of detectors for scanning microscopy and might have applications for microanalysis.