Giant Barkas effect observed for light ions channeling in Si

Measurements of the electronic energy loss are presented for (4)He and (7)Li ions channeling along the Si main axial directions at intermediate to high projectile energies. The Barkas effect, an energy-loss enhancement proportional to the third power of the projectile charge at high energies, is clearly separated from other processes. It reaches about 50% for Li ions channeling along the Si [110] direction. The observed Barkas contribution from the valence-electron gas is in fair agreement with the Lindhard model.     

Evidence for an ultrafast breakdown of the BeO band structure due to swift argon and xenon ions

Auger-electron spectra associated with Be atoms in the pure metal lattice and in the stoichiometric oxide have been investigated for different incident charged particles. For fast incident electrons, for Ar7+ and Ar15+ ions as well as Xe15+ and Xe31+ ions at velocities of 6% to 10% the speed of light, there are strong differences in the corresponding spectral distributions of Be-K Auger lines. These differences are related to changes in the local electronic band structure of BeO on a femtosecond time scale after the passage of highly charged heavy ions.     

Laser‐pump/X‐ray‐probe experiments with electrons ejected from a Cu(111) target: space‐charge acceleration

A comprehensive investigation of the emission characteristics for electrons induced by X‐rays of a few hundred eV at grazing‐incidence angles on an atomically clean Cu(111) sample during laser excitation is presented. Electron energy spectra due to intense infrared laser irradiation are investigated at the BESSY II slicing facility. Furthermore, the influence of the corresponding high degree of target excitation (high peak current of photoemission) on the properties of Auger and photoelectrons liberated by a probe X‐ray beam is investigated in time‐resolved pump and probe measurements. Strong electron energy shifts have been found and assigned to space‐charge acceleration. The variation of the shift with laser power and electron energy is investigated and discussed on the basis of experimental as well as new theoretical results.     

Advanced ion energy loss models: Applications to subnanometric resolution elemental depth profiling

In principle, the depth distribution of the different chemical elements near the surface of solids can be determined quantitatively and absolutely with subnanometric depth resolution using medium energy ion scattering (MEIS), which is a refined version of Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). The energy resolution of current MEIS analyzers reveals spectral features that cannot be resolved using conventional RBS detectors. Thus, the usual data analysis framework based on a standard Gaussian approximation for the ion energy distribution in the target is applicable to regular RBS, but not generally to MEIS, in particular if one aims at subnanometric depth resolution. The observed asymmetry in the ion energy loss distributions is a direct consequence of the asymmetric character of inelastic energy transfers during individual atomic collisions and of the stochastic character of the resulting energy losses. We propose a model that accounts for the proper statistics of the small energy loss events and for an approximate electronic energy loss distribution during the backscattering event. The validity of this model is discussed and applied to the determination of HfO₂ and TiO₂ film thicknesses as well as to detect Al₂O₃ and HfO₂ intermixing. This final application case also illustrates the potentialities as well as some inherent limitations of MEIS. The model developed here has been made available to the public in the form of a software for MEIS data analysis.     

Al-K-Auger energy spectra: Probing the electron dynamics in ion-solid interactions

K-Auger electron emission has been investigated for incident electrons and for different types of heavy ions interacting with mono-crystalline aluminum (100) targets at specific kinetic energies of 3 to 5 MeV/u. In an effort to gain a profound knowledge about the ionization and vacancy-decay dynamics for the K-shell in Al, spectra have been measured with different energy resolutions and angular distributions have been taken as well. Here we concentrate on the energy spectra — we identify the measured peak structures and we investigate different line intensities and mean target charge-states quantitatively, in comparison with theoretical results.     

Direct evidence for projectile charge-state dependent crater formation due to fast ions

We report on craters formed by individual 3 MeV/u Au (q(ini)+) ions of selected incident charge states q_(ini) penetrating thin layers of poly(methyl methacrylate). Holes and raised regions are formed around the region of the impact, with sizes that depend strongly and differently on q_(ini). Variation of q_(ini) of the film thickness and of the angle of incidence allows us to extract information about the depth of origin contributing to different crater features.     

Cross sections for K-shell ionization of Si and Ar by 4 keV to 10 keV electron impact

K-Auger electron emission of Si and Ar produced by 4 keV to 10 keV electrons was measured. Absolute yields were obtained by normalizing to the elastically scattered primary electrons. From the yields cross sections for K-shell ionization were deduced. The cross sections are in good agreement with the results of a fit formula for K-shell excitation in the whole range measured, while they agree with results of PWBA calculations including electron exchange in the Ochkur approximation only for the higher impact energies.