Speaker
Description
Secondary electrons (SEs) generated by electron and soft X-ray irradiation play a central role in radiation-induced modification of materials. Their short mean free paths and strong coupling to electronic excitations make them key agents in processes such as bond scission, desorption, and cross-linking. Understanding SE emission from carbon is particularly important because carbon forms the structural basis of organic and biological matter, as well as many technologically relevant thin-films. Insights into low-energy (< 300 eV) SE behaviour are therefore vital both for interpreting radiation damage mechanisms and for designing controlled surface modification techniques.
This study employs Monte Carlo simulations using the GEANT4 MicroElec framework to investigate SE emission and total electron yield (TEY) from carbon with photon- and electron-induced excitation. The analysis highlights the distinctive challenges of the low-energy regime, where strong energy-loss dispersion and short inelastic mean free paths result in surface-dominated transport. The model provides a quantitative framework for understanding how beam energy and interaction depth influence SE emission, offering insights relevant to radiation chemistry, surface engineering, and biological damage pathways.
