DO HOLLOW ATOMS EXIST IN FRONT OF AN INSULATING LIF(100) SURFACE

First measurements of KLL Auger spectra arising from collisions of N6+ ions on an insulating LiF(100) surface are presented. The beam energy is varied from 0.08 up to 16 keV. The incident angle is chosen such that the perpendicular velocity component is constant over the indicated energy range. Spectral features arising from above surface KLL emission, observed during interaction of N6+ with a conducting Si(100) surface, are absent for LiF, implying pronounced differences in the dynamics governing the above-surface neutralization and deexcitation of the highly charged projectiles. © 1995 The American Physical Society.