This article is about computer simulation for surface analysis through nuclear techniques, which are non-destructive. The energy analysis method is used. Energy spectra are computer simulated and compared to experimental data, giving sample composition and concentration profiles. The method is successfully applied to depth profiling of light nuclei e. g. 12C and 18O in thick targets, using deuteron and proton induced reactions, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy is used as a complementary technique, to give information about surface topography.

This article is about computer simulation for surface analysis through nuclear techniques, which are non-destructive. The energy analysis method is used. Energy spectra are computer simulated and compared to experimental data, giving sample composition and concentration profiles. The method is successfully applied to depth profiling of 12C nuclei in a thick target, using the 12C(d,p0)13C deuteron induced reaction. Elastic scattering permitted depth profiling of Al and O in a thick target. Scanning electron microscopy is used as a complementary technique, to give information about surface topography.

Abstract—This article is about computer simulation for surface analysis through nuclear techniques, which are non-destructive. The energy analysis method is used. Energy spectra are computer simulated and compared to experimental data, giving sample composition and concentration profiles. The method, using elastic scattering of (4He)+ ions, is successfully applied to depth profiling in a target containing a thin film deposited on a thick substrate and in a thick target.

This article is about computer simulation for surface analysis through nuclear techniques, which are non-destructive. The energy analysis method is used. Energy spectra are computer simulated and compared to experimental data, giving sample composition and concentration profiles. The method, using elastic scattering of (4He)+ ions, is successfully applied to depth profiling in both thin and thick targets containing Al and O.

This article is about computer simulation for surface analysis through nuclear techniques, which are non-destructive. The energy analysis method is used. Energy spectra are computer simulated and compared to experimental data, giving sample composition and concentration profiles. The method is successfully applied to depth profiling of 12C nuclei in a thick target, using the 12C(d,p0)13C deuteron induced reaction. Scanning electron microscopy is used as a complementary technique, to give information about surface topography.

When considering materials to be used as active layers in solar cells, an important required parameter is the proper knowledge of their elemental composition. It should be heavily controlled during growth in order to obtain the desired bandgap and to decrease recombination defects and then increase the solar cell electrical performance. Ion beam analytical techniques and, in particular particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and elastic backscattering spectrometry (EBS), are quite suitable to determine the thickness and composition of such active layers. Furthermore, if these techniques are performed using a nuclear microprobe, lateral and in-depth inhomogeneities can be clearly observed from 2D maps. In many cases, composition variations can be detected from the classical 2D maps obtained from the PIXE spectra. In this work, it is shown how the in-depth variations can also be studied when considering 2D maps reconstructed from the EBS spectra. Such variations are derived from processing conditions and can be related to: i) composition, ii) thickness, iii) roughness, iv) other non-trivial issues. Examples obtained on Cu(In,Ga)Se2 based cells are presented and discussed. Furthermore, the combination of ion beam analytical techniques such as PIXE and EBS is shown to be a competitive and alternative method to those more used and established techniques such as X-ray fluorescence for checking the average composition of the solar cells active layers or SIMS for the determination of elemental depth profile.

Very high fluence implantation of 14N+ ions was used to promote the formation of a nitride layer on the surface of steel coinage dies used by the Portuguese Mint. Die steel samples were studied before and after implantation at 90 keV plus 30 keV for two nominal fluences, 5.0x10^17 at/cm^2 and 1.0x10^18 at/cm^2, and for two implantation temperatures, room and liquid nitrogen temperature. Surface characterization was carried out by ultramicrohardness indentation, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS). A significant increase (factor two) in depth reached by the implanted nitrogen was observed for LN2 implantations, which, to our knowledge, was never reported before. Results point out the benefit of nitrogen implantation at room temperature with a nominal fluence of 5.0x10^17 at/cm^2, which raised the hardness of the dies by approximately 40% (from 6.2 \pm 0.5 to 8.7 \pm 0.7 GPa). Nitrogen implanted dies were used to mint circulating two cents euro coins and their performance was assessed, showing that when compared to Vautrol coated dies (standard coating used by the Portuguese Mint), the crack density was lower and similar wear resistance was observed.