Study of solid surfaces by metastable electron emission microscopy: energy-filtered images and local electron spectra at the outermost surface layer of silicon oxide on Si(100)

Low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) and metastable electron emission microscopy (MEEM) were used to study images and local electron spectra of an oxide pattern on Si(100) in which energy-filtered images were seen for the first time. Results of the study revealed that LEEM provides averaged information on several surface layers while MEEL gives the information on the outermost surface layer selectively. Other observations are discussed.