Probing depth of the low energy cascade electrons from a transition metal

A surface probing depth of only ∼ 2 layers for low energy cascade electrons excited with a 3.2 keV primary electron beam is clearly demonstrated by model experiments with non-magnetic overlayers of Ta on magnetic substrates of Fe/Ni80Fe20. This result establishes a short probing depth of low energy electrons in transition metals generalizing the previously observed short magnetic probing depth for spin-polarized electrons in ferromagnets. The short probing depth sheds new light on a number of spectroscopic observations on ferromagnetic transition metals, and has important implications concerning surface magnetic properties and scattering processes of hot electrons in transition metals. © 1991 Springer-Verlag.