A computer simulation study on hyperthermal energy rare gas ion scattering from solid surfaces

Abstract

Scattering of rare gas beams from solid surfaces at hyperthermal energies is studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The energy-angle distributions of He, Ne and Ar particles scattered from an oxygen-covered Rh(111) surface are calculated. The beam energy is varied in the energy range 5–50 eV and normal incidence is assumed. When the projectile is much ligther than the surface atoms, the profile of the energy-angle distribution changes drastically due to the topographic change in the equi-potential energy surface in this energy range. The distribution is sharp at low energies corresponding to binary collisions with a corrugated surface, while it becomes very broad at high energies because particles penetrate the surface causing multiple collisions. On the other hand, the distribution is always broad and insensitive to the collision energy when the mass of the projectile is greater than or equal to that of the surface atoms.