Measurements of L-shell x-ray production cross-sections of Au and Ag by low energy electron impact

Au Lα and Lβ and Ag L-shell x-ray production cross-sections by electron impact have been measured in the incident energy region from near threshold to about 25 keV. Thin films with thick aluminium substrates were used as targets in the experiments. The effect of directional and energy spreading of the electron beam within the active films and x-ray enhancement due to backscattering electrons and bremsstrahlung photons from the substrates are corrected by means of Monte Carlo simulations. The corrected experimental data provided by this method are compared with calculated cross-sections from a PWBA theory with Coulomb, relativistic and exchange corrections and with other experimental data available in the literature