Ion beam analysis

Ion beam analysis ("IBA") is an important family of modern analytical techniques involving the use of MeV ion beams to probe the composition and obtain elemental depth profiles in the near-surface layer of solids. All IBA methods are highly sensitive and allow the detection of elements in the sub-monolayer range. The depth resolution is typically in the range of a few nanometers to a few ten nanometers. Atomic depth resolution can be achieved, but requires special equipment. The analyzed depth ranges from a few ten nanometers to a few ten micrometers. IBA methods are always quantitative with an accuracy of a few percent. Channeling allows to determine the depth profile of damage in single crystals.

RBS: Rutherford backscattering is sensitive to heavy elements in a light matrix
EBS: Elastic (non-Rutherford) backscattering spectrometry can be sensitive even to light elements in a heavy matrix. The term EBS is used when the incident particle is going so fast that it exceeds the "Coulomb barrier" of the target nucleus, which therefore cannot be treated by Rutherford's approximation of a point charge. In this case Schrödinger's equation should be solved to obtain the scattering cross-section (see http://www-nds.iaea.org/sigmacalc/).
ERD: Elastic recoil detection is sensitive to light elements in a heavy matrix
PIXE: Particle induced X-ray emission gives the trace and minor elemental composition
NRA: Nuclear reaction analysis is sensitive to particular isotopes
Channelling: The fast ion beam can be aligned accurately with major axes of single crystals; then the strings of atoms "shadow" each other and the backscattering yield falls dramatically. Any atoms off their lattice sites will give visible extra scattering. Thus damage to the crystal is visible, and point defects (interstitials) can even be distinguished from dislocations.

The quantitative evaluation of IBA methods requires the use of specialized simulation and data analysis software. SIMNRA and DataFurnace are popular programs for the analysis of RBS, ERD and NRA, while GUPIX is popular for PIXE.

IBA is an area of active research. The last major Nuclear Microbeam conference in Debrecen (Hungary) was published in NIMB 267(12-13).

External links

International Conference on Ion Beam Analysis (Biennial scientific conference devoted to IBA): 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015).
European Conference on Accelerators in Applied Research and Technology ECAART (Triennial European scientific conference): 2007, 2010, 2013.
International Conference on Particle Induced X-ray Emission (Trienniel scientific conference devoted to PIXE): 2007, 2010, 2013, 2015.
"Nuclear Instruments and Methods": The international peer reviewed scientific journal largely devoted to IBA developments and applications
SIMNRA program for the simulation and analysis of RBS, EBS, ERD and NRA spectra
DataFurnace program for the simulation and analysis (self-consistent fitting) of multiple PIXE, RBS, EBS, ERD, NRA, PIGE, NRP, NDP spectra
NDF free version of NDF (the calculation engine underlying DataFurnace) for the simulation of IBA spectra
GUPIX program for the simulation and analysis of PIXE spectra
Software for PIXE analysis Intercomparison of PIXE spectrometry software packages
The Acceleratorer List of IBA related conferences and facilities

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