Monte Carlo simulation of the secondary electron yield of silicon rich silicon nitride

TL;DR

This study uses Monte Carlo simulations combined with ab initio calculations to analyze how silicon doping levels and distribution in silicon nitride membranes affect secondary electron yield, revealing potential optimization strategies.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation approach integrating density functional theory data to study doping effects on secondary electron emission in silicon nitride.

Findings

Higher silicon doping reduces maximum secondary electron yield.

Doping distribution can be optimized to mitigate yield decrease.

Abstract

The effect of doping in Si3N4 membranes on the secondary electron yield is investigated using Monte Carlo simulations of the electron-matter interactions. The effect of the doping level of silicon doping and the effect of the distribution of the doping in silicon rich silicon nitride membranes is studied by using the energy loss function as obtained from ab initio density functional theory calculations in the electron scattering models of the Monte Carlo simulation package. An increasing doping level leads to a decreasing maximum secondary electron yield. The distribution of the doped silicon atoms can be optimised in order to minimize the decrease in yield.