RADIATE summer school

Lecture by Ian Vickridge

Institut des NanoSciences de Paris, CNRS and Sorbonne University, France

The physics of collisions between a rapid ion and the atoms of a sample to be analysed are at the heart of Ion Beam Analysis (IBA). This lecture will present the elementary physics of elastic and inelastic ion-atom collisions at small impact parameters – kinematics and cross-sections –  developed in particular for application to Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA) and Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA).

Lecture by Ian Vickridge

Institut des NanoSciences de Paris, CNRS and Sorbonne University, France

In addition to the small impact parameter collisions introduced in Lecture 1, rapid ions undergo a multitude of collisions with the electrons in the matter they traverse, resulting in a practically continuous energy loss along the ion trajectory. This is characterised by the Stopping Power of the material for the ion and is at the heart of the concentration depth profiling capabilities of IBA techniques. This lecture will address the basic underlying physics of stopping power and the various analytic and semi-empirical models which may be applied in IBA.

Lecture by Feraz Dias

Ion Implantation Laboratory, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

The present lecture deals with the excitation of the atom through ionization induced by charged particles and subsequent de-excitation processes. In particular, this lecture will cover the following topics:

• Historical aspects of atomic physics;
• Ionization processes;
• Fundamentals of de-excitation processes:
  • Coster-Kronig transitions;
  • Auger electrons;
  • Characteristic X-rays emission;
• Spectroscopy with electrons and X-rays;

How elastic scattering and recoil of ions can be used for materials analysis and depth profiling

Lecture by Iva Bogdanović Radović,

Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia

This Lecture will explain the basic physics principles on which two Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) methods, Rutherford/Elastic Backscattering (RBS/EBS) and Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA) rely. Also, different experimental setups that can be used for the measurements, from very simple to sophisticated ones will be described.

Today both techniques are an essential tool for analysis of wide classes of materials, from archaeological objects, thin films and coatings to the materials for future fusion reactors. In the lecture different examples of materials analysis and depth profiling using RBS/EBS and ERDA will be presented. Advantages and disadvantages of using them in some particular cases will be also emphasised.

Lecture by Thomas Calligaro

Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France, Palais du Louvre, Paris France

This lecture covers the practical application of PIXE, including experimental setups and their optimisation for specific applications both in vacuum and with extracted beams. The analytical performance of PIXE – detection limits and quantification will also be addressed

Lecture by Hicham Khodja

Laboratoire d’Etude des Elements Legers (LEEL), Commisariat de l’Energie Atomique, Saclay, France

This lecture will address the practical implementation and performance of Nuclear Reaction Analysis and Particle-Induced Gamma emission for application to the analysis of light elements.

Lecture by Professor Chris Jeynes

University of Surrey Ion Beam Centre, Guildford, England

Course Summary

1. The International Vocabulary of Metrology (VIM) definition of terms:  a Measurement must include an estimate of its Uncertainty
2. Life is uncertain in principle, but error is to be avoided if we can (NB: always include error-bars in figures!)
3. Distinction between Precision and Accuracy.  Distinction between Repeatability and Reproducibility
4. These issues are important in IBA precisely because Quantitation is its great strength
5. Type A and Type B uncertainties:  see the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM)
6. Uncertainty Budget (also see GUM)
7. Absolute accuracy of RBS (best achieved to date)
8. Accuracy of thick-target PIXE
9. Accuracy of EBS, ERD, NRA
10. Accuracy of Total-IBA
11. Exercises