Can bremsstrahlung electrons excite rather than ionize?

[Clara Chung]

1. Must the electron brought to rest(in one step or many steps) in Bremsstrahlung effect?
2. Besides from a coming electron knocking off an electron on the shell then another electron fills the void, can the coming electron just excite an electron on the shell to a higher state and release a photon by the electron falling to a lower energy level?

 

[mfb]

1. Must the electron brought to rest(in one step or many steps) in Bremsstrahlung effect?

It gets slower, after a few interactions this typically means the electron is slow. It can also leave the material and fly away, however.

2. Besides from a coming electron knocking off an electron on the shell then another electron fills the void, can the coming electron just excite an electron on the shell to a higher state and release a photon by the electron falling to a lower energy level?

Yes, but that process is very unlikely, and indistinguishable from free electrons falling in in most setups.