Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS)

Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) is a non-destructive quantitative technique that analyzes the elemental composition of the surface of thin films or bulk materials. This technique is based on the famous Rutherford gold-foil experiment, which used a linear beam of alpha particles to penetrate gold foil. While most of these particles passed through, some were backscattered and detected by the luminescent screen. In modern RBS analysis, the energy profile of the elastically back-scattered 4H3+ particles are analyzed to collect various information on the sample.

The main application of RBS is to determine the purity of adjacent layers, quantify layer thickness, analyze the intermixing of layers, and understand defects within single crystal materials. The proper range of analysis depth is 1 nm ~ 1000 nm. If the film of interest is deposited on a stoichiometrically known surface, no reference sample is needed. In the case thin film, both stoichiometry and atomic density of the thin film can be determined.

To read more on RBS, you can read our Key Tech brochure.

Services

• RBS can be used to measure thin film composition up to 1 µm thick.
• Hydrogen Forward Scattering (HFS) can be used to measure the hydrogen profile in thin films and bulk materials.
• Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA) can be used to measure specific isotopes for accurate composition of elements such as B, C, N, & O (lighter elements).
• Particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) can be used to study the release of X-rays from the sample, which is good for trace contamination detection.

Pricing

Pricing for RBS and other Materials Analysis services are provided on our Pricing Table

FAQ

Q: What types of analysis can RBS be used for?

A: RBS can be used to measure thickness of a thin film or a bulk material, in addition to the elemental composition. To measure the thickness of the film, the density is of film is needed, and vice versa.

Q: Can RBS detect hydrogen?

A: Yes, by using HFS-RBS you are able to quantity the amount of hydrogen.

Q: What is the strength of RBS?

A: RBS provides highly sensitive, non-destructive, quantitative analysis of thin film materials without any reference.

Equipment

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