| AVS 64th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Applied Surface Science Division | Monday Sessions |
| Session AS+BI+MI-MoM |
| Session: | Practical Surface Analysis: Getting the Most Out of Your Analysis using Complementary Techniques |
| Presenter: | Thomas Grehl, ION-TOF GmbH, Germany |
| Authors: | T. Grehl, ION-TOF GmbH, Germany P. Brüner, ION-TOF GmbH, Germany H.H. Brongersma, ION-TOF GmbH, Germany |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
In materials science and applications, the outer surface plays a vital role for a range of properties and in general for the interaction of a solid with its surroundings. The chemical properties of the surface govern macroscopic properties like wettability/contact angle, but also the chemical interactions as in catalysis, corrosion or thin film growth. The outer surface and its understanding is crucial for catalysis, fuel cells, thin film formation, nanoparticles and a wide range of other processes.
The analysis of the outer surface is frequently hampered by the fact that the origin of the signal is not completely limited to the first atomic layer, but bulk and surface signals are mixed. This issue is avoided in the case of Low Energy Ion Scattering (LEIS). The elemental composition of the outer atomic layer is determined quantitatively and separately from deeper layers. We will demonstrate a number of cases where this is essential to draw the relevant conclusions and reveal surface properties that would not be detected by other surface analytical techniques.
Nevertheless, the combination of complementary techniques is always required to address complex problems. We will demonstrate how the combination of LEIS with other established analytical techniques is beneficial for a comprehensive analysis.
One of these cases is the interaction of Ar cluster ions with a solid sample: it is well known that the sputtering yield of massive argon clusters is some orders of magnitude larger for organic than for inorganic materials. Therefore, Ar cluster beams have been discussed as a means of removing atmospheric adsorbents from surfaces prior to analysis. Using thin film samples, we have evaluated this approach applying LEIS in order to detect the removal of the organic material and the influence on the underlying inorganic surface. Despite the low sputtering yield for the inorganic material, a complete removal of the organic material will lead to a significant modification of the inorganic surface even when the actual erosion is limited.
Other examples from nanoparticles, catalysis and thin films will support the importance of outer layer surface analysis for materials research and other applications.