Available ion beam analysis techniques at the Ion Beam Center

In principle all elements of the periodic table can be analysed by ion beam analysis (IBA). Which method to choose for a particular problem, dependents on the actual matter of interest.

Typical application field of ion beam analysis are amongst others:

  • Semiconductor materials
  • Solar cells
  • Glasses
  • Metals
  • Special and compound materials
  • Coatings
  • Biomedical materials
  • Arts and cultural heritage
  • Geological samples
  • Archaeometry

We are glad to counsult you.

Rutherford-Backscattering-Spectrometry - RBS

  • High detection sensitivity for heavy elements in a light matrix or on a light substrate
  • Blind for light elements in a heavy matrix or on a heavy substrate
  • Quantitative und standard-free method with an accuracy of < 1%
  • Employing channeling for damage measurements in single crystals

Typical parameters

  • Analysable elements: O to U
  • Detection limits:
    (highly depending on element/matrix combination)
    • < 0.1 atom-% up to several atom-% in volume
    • 1012 atoms/cm2 up to 1015 atoms/cm2 as thin films
  • Analysing depth: ~ micrometres
  • Depth resolution: < 5 nm using standard silicon detectors
  • High resolution RBS as special application --> depth resolution < 1 nm
 RBS

Elastic recoil detection - ERD

  • High detection sensitivity for light elements in a heavy matrix or on a heavy substrate
  • Blind for heavy elements in a light matrix
  • Quantitative und standard-free method with an accuracy of ~1%

Typical parameters

  • Analysable elements: H, B-S, Cl-U

  • Detection limits: < 0.1 atom-% up to >1 atom-% (in the presence of heavy elements)

  • Analysing depth (max.): 0.5 - 0.75 μm
  • Depth resolution: ~ 20 nm
  • High resolution ERD as special application --> depth resolution ~ 0.8 nm
 ERD

Nuclear reaction analysis - NRA

  • Selective detection of light elements
  • Isotope sensitive
  • Trace element distributions

Typical parameters

  • Analysable elements: H to F
  • Lateral resolution:1 - 100 mm2
  • Detection limits:
    • < 0.02 atom-% (H)
    • 0.05 atom-% (D to F)
  • Analysing depth: up to 5 µm (matrix-dependent)
  • Depth resolution:
    • ~ 8 nm (in Si)
    • 1 nm (grazing incidence)
 NRA

Particle induced X-Ray and Gamma- Emission - PIXE/PIGE

  • Non-destructive
  • Simultaneous multi-element
  • In vacuum or in air

Typical parameters

  • Analysable elements: Li to U
  • Detection limits: > 0.001 atom-%
  • Analysing depth (max.): 0.5 - 5 µm
 PIXE-PIGE

Ion microprobe

  • Lateral element distributions or depth profiles in lateral resolution of some µm's using PIXE, RBS, RBS/C, ERD and/or NRA
  • Quantitative und standard-free method with an accuracy of < 5%

Typical parameters

  • Analysable elements: depending on applied technique (see above)
  • Lateral resolution:
    • > 1 x 1 µm2
    • > 10 x 10 µm2 (channeling)
  • Scanning area: < some mm2
  • Detection limits:
    • 0.2 atom-% (H & B-F)
    • > 0.001 atom-% (for Al to U)
  • Analysing depth (max.): 1 µm (matrix-dependent)
  • Depth resolution: ~ 20 nm
 2D Element-Verteilungen gemessen mit µ-PIXE an einer Probe aus dem Meeressediment
2D elemental distributions measured by µ-PIXE on a seabed sample (3 MeV proton beam, beam spot 4x7 µm², total size 1x1 mm²). Clearly observable are pyrites (FeS2), partly inside a potassium and silicon shell.

Contact

Dr. René Heller

r.hellerAthzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 3617

Dr. Frans Munnik

f.munnikAthzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 2174

Links

Ion Beam Analysis
Structural Diagnostics
User facilities at the Ion Beam Cen­ter