RBS with high depth resolution using small magnetic spectrometers

Abstract

The increasing importance of ultra-thin layers for novel technologies demands quantitative analysis techniques with a depth resolution of atomic monolayers, which can be obtained for RBS and ERDA by magnetic spectrometers. We operate at the 3 MV Tandetron accelerator a magnetic spectrometer consisting of an UHV scattering chamber and a simple dipole magnet with circular field boundaries (Browne–Buechner spectrometer). Since in many cases of high resolution ion beam analysis the samples must be prepared in situ in UHV, the chamber with a base vacuum of 4 × 10 −10 mbar is equipped with an ion sputter gun and two low rate e-beam evaporators for in situ layer deposition. A RHEED system is used to check the surface reconstruction and monitor the layer growth. Samples are transferred, together with a BN heater, to the precision 5-axes channelling goniometer. The magnet with a mean radius of 0.65 m is mounted vertically and can be positioned either at 35.5° or 144.5°. The backward position offers the advantage of a high mass resolution, but the Rutherford cross sections are a factor of about 100 lower than at the forward angle, which is the preferred position if kinematically possible. At the 5 MV tandem accelerator a QQDS magnetic spectrometer is being installed. The facilities for in situ sample preparation in UHV are similar. These spectrometers are described in detail and recent applications are discussed.