Electron scattering

Electron scattering occurs when electrons are displaced from their original trajectory. This is due to the electrostatic forces within matter or, if an external magnetic field is present, the electron may be deflected by the Lorentz force. This scattering typically happens with solids such as metals, semiconductors and insulators; and is a limiting factor in integrated circuits and transistors.

Electron scattering has many applications ranging from the use of swift electron in electron microscopes to very high energies for hadronic systems that allows the measurement of the distribution of charges for nucleons and nuclear structure. The scattering of electrons has allowed us to understand many details about the atomic structure, from the ordering of atoms to that protons and neutrons are made up of the smaller elementary subatomic particles called quarks.

Electrons may be scattered through a solid in several ways:

• Not at all: no electron scattering occurs and the beam passes straight through.
• Single scattering: when an electron is scattered just once.
• Plural scattering: when electron(s) scatter several times.
• Multiple scattering: when electron(s) scatter many times over.

The likelihood of an electron scattering and the degree of the scattering is a function of the specimen thickness and the mean free path.