Elastic recoil detection for medium-energy ion scattering

Medium-energy ion scattering (MEIS) has been successfully applied for many years as a technique for structural analysis of solids. Advantages over competing techniques include superb depth resolution (5-10 Å), quantitative information (well-known cross sections), and ease of interpretation. A weakness of the technique is the lack of sensitivity to light elements. We have adapted the technique to detect light elements by elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA). This has been used to analyze samples containing hydrogen and boron, with depth resolution of ≊10 Å, comparable to conventional MEIS. This is an order of magnitude improvement over conventional ERDA.