TIME-OF-FLIGHT SCATTERING AND RECOILING SPECTROMETRY

Ion scattering and recoiling spectrometry consists of directing a collimated beam of monoenergetic ions towards a surface and measuring the flux of scattered and recoiled particles from this surface. When the neutral plus ion flux is velocity selected by measuring the flight times from the sample to the detector, the technique is called time-of-flight scattering and recoiling spectrometry (TOF-SARS). TOF-SARS is capable of (1) surface elemental analysis by applying classical mechanics to the velocities of the particles, (2) surface structural analysis by monitoring the angular anisotropies in the particle flux, and (3) ion-surface electron exchange probabilities by analysis of the ion/neutral fractions in the particle flux. Examples of these three areas are presented herein.