Determination of the electron inelastic mean free path in polyacetylene by elastic peak electron spectroscopy using different spectrometers

The inelastic mean free path (IMFP) values for organic materials are very limited. Numerous data have been published mainly for elemental solids, binary alloys and semiconductors. Generally, the IMFP values for different energies can be determined from the theoretical models involving the optical data, from predictive formulas, and from the experimental method called the elastic peak electron spectroscopy (EPES). In the present work the IMFPs in N-(CH)(x) polyacetylene (unstretched), synthesised according to Naarmann and Theophilou, and this polyacetylene doped with Pd were determined. The IMFPs energy dependence for the above samples has been obtained from the EPES in the primary electron energy range of 200-5000 eV. The experimental data have been recorded using three different spectrometers and compared with the theoretical data available. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.