Interaction of slow electrons with surface: Empty electronic states and inelastic scattering effects

The fine structure of experimental true secondary-electron emission spectra along the normal to a clean W(1 1 0) surface, target (or total) current spectra, and low-energy-electron-transmission spectra along the normal to a clean 2H-MoS2(0 0 0 1) surface are interpreted theoretically. It is shown that the fine structure of these spectra is mainly due to the electronic structure of unoccupied high-level electronic states (above the vacuum level), which become occupied by electrons entering the solid. In addition, a comparison to existing theoretical and experimental data is given.