Low-energy Ion Scattering: Electronic Interaction of Slow Light Ions with Matter

Since early 70-s Low Energy Ion Scattering spectroscopy is a well known within material science society technique, which is used to solve manifold physical problems related to the surface. LEIS utilizes slow light ions to probe the surface of interest. Therefore, understanding of electronic interaction of ions with matter is of a great importance for this technique. In this book electronic stopping of ions in insulating and metallic targets as well as neutralization of ions in front of single crystalline metallic targets are explored. The first aim of the present work was to investigate the electronic interaction of slow light ions with samples, which exhibit a finite energy barrier for electron excitation, e.g. the d-electrons in Au and Cu, or the valence electrons in LiF. As a second aim, neutralization of He+ ions in the energy range 10 keV has been studied on Cu single crystals of different surface orientations in order to explore to which extent Auger neutralization changes when non-equivalent surface planes of Cu are analysed. This book is directed to the community of surface science physicists, whose professional interests are closely related to the particle interaction.