Rutherford backscattering oscillation in scanning helium-ion microscopy

Journal Article · Tue Mar 15 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3549016· OSTI ID:21538179

Kostinski, Sarah; Yao, Nan ^[1]

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1. Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (United States)

Scanning helium-ion microscopy (SHIM) yields high-resolution imaging and is capable of surface elemental analysis at the nanometer scale. Here we examine recently discovered SHIM backscattered intensity oscillations versus the target atomic number. These oscillations are contrary to the expected monotonic increase of the backscattered helium-ion (He{sup +}) rate with the atomic number of elemental samples. We explore the ion-sample interaction via numerical simulations for a variety of scattering geometries and confirm the presence of oscillations. The oscillations are attributed to the atomic rather than the nuclear structure of the target. To that end, we study the link (near anticorrelation) between backscatter rate and He{sup +} beam stopping power, both versus the target atomic number. This leads us to ascribe the origin of the backscatter oscillation to the ''Z{sub 2}-oscillations'' of the stopping power in ion-beam physics, with the latter being rooted in the valence electron configuration of elemental targets.

• OSTI ID: 21538179
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 109; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ATOMIC NUMBER
BEAMS
CHARGED PARTICLES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CONFIGURATION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
HELIUM IONS
INTERACTIONS
ION BEAMS
IONS
LAWS
MICROSCOPY
NUCLEAR STRUCTURE
OSCILLATIONS
REGULATIONS
RESOLUTION
RUTHERFORD BACKSCATTERING SPECTROSCOPY
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SCATTERING
SIMULATION
SPECTROSCOPY
STOPPING POWER
SURFACES
TRANSCRIPTION