Technique |
Description |
Typical Application |
Signal Detected |
Resolution |
Imaging |
Minimum Spot Size |
Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) |
Elemental surface analysis and depth profiling |
Thin film stoichiometry and near surface analysis of composition or impurities |
Backscattered ions |
1E14/cm2
Depending upon mass of target and impurity |
No |
1 mm
(1 µm for
µ-beam) |
Ion Channeling |
Elemental analysis and depth profiling for single crystals |
Lattice location of defects and impurities in single crystal material |
Backscattered ions |
See RBS |
No |
1 mm
(1 µm for
µ-beam) |
Particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) |
Elemental surface analysis |
Elemental analysis , 2-D map of trace impurities in Archeological, Biological and other bulk and thin films samples |
Characteristic X-rays of elements |
ppm to 100 ppb
~125 eV |
Yes
(2-D elemental map) |
1 mm
(1 µm for
µ-PIXE) |
Nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) |
Elemental surface analysis for light elements |
Depth profiling of light impurities, i.e. 1H, 2H, Be, B 15N, 18O |
Nuclear reaction products, i.e. proton, alpha, gamma, etc.) |
1E12/cm2
1 ppm
Reaction dependent |
No |
1 mm
(1 µm for
µ-beam) |
Elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) |
Elemental surface analysis for light elements |
Depth profiling of light impurities, i.e. 1H and 2H |
Forward scattered recoiled atoms |
0.1-1 atm% |
No |
2 mm |
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) |
Surface topography ad atomic scale imaging |
Surface roughness, nanoparticle feature size, step heights |
Tip deflection from surface atomic morphology |
< 5 Å |
Yes |
|
µ-Raman Spectroscopy (µ-Raman) |
Inelastic scattering of light for chemical analysis |
Molecular composition, strain in thin film, chemical analysis |
Bond vibration
frequency |
3 cm-1 |
2-D mapping |
1 µm |
Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) |
Infrared absorption spectroscopy for chemical analysis |
Chemical and molecular structure analysis and thin film impurities |
IR absorption |
Sample dependent |
No |
|
