Band structure effects in high energy ion beam surface interaction at grazing incidence

Abstract

The analysis of charge state distributions after the interaction of fast Li- and N-ions with a surface at grazing incidence at energies between 50 and 350 keV yields for Li a strongly suppressed and for N an enhanced fraction of neutrals in comparison to the beam-foil interaction. These findings are supported by corresponding alkali-spectra which are dominated by lines from transitions in singly ionized atoms. The experiments are consistently interpreted in terms of a two step model: (1) collisional excitation in the close vicinity of the surface and (2) modification of this population by resonant electron transfer from (to) non localized states in the conduction (valence) band to (from) the ion. The model is also applied to interpret recent beam-foil experiments where preferential populations of Rydberg levels in highly ionized atoms were found.