Theory of the interaction between an electron beam and a thin solid film

After a brief introduction to scattering processes, a simple theory of the interaction between an electron stream and a thin solid film is described. The energy dependence of the backscattering coefficient is considered in the formulation of the theory. Then the theoretical results are compared with the Palluell, Cosslett and Thomas, and Bishop experimental data. The energy dissipation of the electron beam in the solid film and the possibility of evaluating the thickness of thin films deposited on substrates by measuring the backscattering coefficient are discussed.