Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS)
Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) is one of the most reliable analyses that characterize thin film samples non-destructively. It is both a qualitative analysis that identifies the component elements and a quantitative one that gives the stoichiometric ratios. The technique does not call for sample references. The analysis procedure involves bombarding the specimen film with high-energy (0.5–4 MeV) Helium ions, hence giving it the name High-Energy Ion Scattering (HEIS) Spectrometry. The nuclei in the film repel the high-energy ions — the repulsion or backscattering by each element being at a characteristic angle, energy distribution, and yield. Thus, we understand the composition and layer depths of the sample. Helium being a noble gas, the ions are relatively stable as well. The sample composition is not therefore altered by the collision. RBS has proven its worth in strengthening the domains of semiconductor and thin-film technologies by maximizing efficiency to size ...
