Fractal behavior of electron trajectories and spatial distributions of secondary electron birth sites in solids

The fractal behavior of electron scattering in solids, simulated by the Monte Carlo method, has been studied. The trajectories of electrons of 1–10 keV primary energies in Si, Cu, Ag, and Au have been simulated. The Hausdorff dimensions of trajectories of primary electrons, trajectories of primary electrons plus secondary electrons, and spatial distributions of secondary electron birth sites have been determined by the box-counting method. The fractal geometry can be used to describe quantitatively the complexity of the electron scattering process in solids.