Simulation of SiO/sub 2/ charging

The single scattering technique in the Monte Carlo simulating method is used: the electron trajectory is divided in several straight segments; the length of each segment is a random fraction of the elastic mean free path, an elastic diffusion is considered at the end of each segment. The screened Rutherford cross section accounts for the elastic interaction. Inelastic interaction is introduced: a) either via the inelastic mean free path and the energy loss cross section concepts; b) or by the Bethe-Wittry continuous slowing-down model. The energy loss is assumed to be devoted to secondary electron creation; the secondary electron energy is deduced from the Streitwolf formula. The intensity of the total secondary electron yield is fitted to the experimental results by adjusting the value of two parameters which respectively describe the cascade multiplication rate and the mean absorption coefficient.