The prediction of thick target electron bremsstrahlung spectra in the 0.25–50 keV energy range

The importance of electron bremsstrahlung has continuously grown since its early discovery more than one century ago, increasingly being involved in different scientific areas. The present work deals with the prediction of thick-target bremsstrahlung spectrum in the frame of scanning electron microprobe analysis. X-ray energies considered range from 0.25 to 50 keV, whereas the models discussed involve electron incident energies up to 50 keV. The main attempts proposed to describe the thick target bremsstrahlung by electron impact are reviewed. Developments carried out from theoretical bases are considered, as well as the role played by Monte Carlo simulations. The results achieved by empirical models are particularly emphasized in view of their reliability in the description of the bremsstrahlung spectrum by means of analytical functions of the atomic number, beam energy and photon energy.