Registration Method of Secondary Electron Spectra and Experimental Studies of the Electronic Structure of Atoms of Steel X17AG18 and ZrC Ceramics

An overview of the use of electron spectroscopy for the study of the physicochemical properties of solids is carried out. It is noted that the main source of information about the electronic states of atoms is the energy distribution of electrons excited by ions, X-ray quanta, and laser beams. The paper briefly discusses the problems that exist in registering the spectra of secondary electrons obtained by exciting the surface of samples with electrons of medium (1–20 keV) energies and ways to solve these problems in order to increase the information content and accuracy of research results. A method for recording secondary electron spectra in an integral form using an Auger spectrometer is proposed, which allows one to increase the energy resolution of the method. The possibilities of the method are demonstrated by the example of experimental studies of zirconium carbide and steel X17AG18.