Low‐energy ion beam system for materials studies

An ion accelerator system has been developed for the measurement of low‐energy, hydrogen isotope sputter yields. This system provides well‐characterized, mass‐analyzed beams of hydrogen isotopes at low ion energies and high current densities. The system delivers these beams into an ultrahigh vacuum chamber equipped with a cylindrical mirror analyzer for i n s i t u Auger electron spectroscopy measurements on samples after hydrogen isotope exposure, and a quadrupole mass analyzer for secondary ion mass spectroscopy measurements during hydrogen isotope bombardment. Ion energies range from 300 eV to 10 keV at flux densities of up to 3.6×1016 atoms/cm2 s over a 6‐mm diam spot. The performance characteristics and analytical capabilities of the system are described. Representative sputtering data for Si by deuterium are given and other brief surface studies are described.