An experimental study of the energy dependence of the total yield due to the incidence of low-energy electrons onto graphite surfaces

The energy dependence of the total yield resulting from the incidence of low-energy electrons in the energy range of 0 to 30 eV above the vacuum level on various graphite surfaces: (A) the basal plane of single-crystal graphite, (B) the basal plane of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite and (C) polycrystalline graphite, is presented. The authors have also explored (D) vapour-deposited carbon film on polycrystalline graphite surfaces. The spectra are discussed partly in terms of the onset of inelastic electron-electron scattering accompanied by interband transitions and partly by excitation of collective modes. A peak at 14.2 eV is ascribed to the Q 1u + to Q 2g - transition while features at 26 and 21.2 eV have been ascribed to the excitation of volume plasmons and surface plasmons, respectively.