Single‐Electron Deexcitation of Volume Plasmons Induced by Heavy Ions in Thin Solid Foils

Abstract
In heavy ion (C+, N+) induced electron spectra (Ee < 30 eV) differential in angle and energy, of thin C (x = 370 nm), Cu (x = 100 nm), and Al(x = 160 nm) targets pronounced structures in forward direction superimposed on the flanks of the “true” secondary electron peak are observed. The energies of these structures are well correlated with the plasmon energies hωp of the materials in question. The present data offer good evidence for the existence of the single‐electron deexcitation process of volume plasmons in thin solid films.