RUTHERFORD BACKSCATTERING WITH HEAVY-IONS Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The mass resolution capabilities of heavy ion Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (HIRBS) have been explored. A generalized prediction has been made of the maximum mass resolution that can be obtained in HIRBS. The experimental mass analysis capabilities of three heavy ion beams, 24 MeV 160, 23 MeV 20Ne, and 38 MeV 40Ar was investigated in de-tail. Using these beams, a mass difference of 1 amu can be determined at a target mass of 25 amu; a mass difference of 2 amu can be determined at a target mass of 65 amu. For each beam, the energy differences necessary for qualitative and quantitative analysis were determined. For the 160 beam the corresponding experimental values are 250 and 350 keV, respectively, for qualitative and quantitative determination. For the 2Ne beam the values are 275 and 425 keV, for the 40Ar beam the values are 700 and 1200 keV. From these experimental E values the mass resolution achievable with each beam is estimated. HIRBS is potentially capable of resolving neighboring masses for 50 < M < 100 and appears we suited for detecting such species on the surface of low Z substrates. Copyright 1981 by The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Inc.

published proceedings

  • IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE

author list (cited authors)

  • SULLINS, R. T., LEITE, C., & SCHWEIKERT, E. A.

citation count

  • 4

complete list of authors

  • SULLINS, RT||LEITE, CVB||SCHWEIKERT, EA

publication date

  • April 1981