The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 01, 1991
Filed:
Feb. 02, 1989
Klaus Wittmaack, Munich, DE;
Gesellschaft fur Strahlen- und Umweltforschung mbH (GSF), Neuherberg, DE;
Abstract
A method and an apparatus for the quantitative depth analysis of a solid sample by backscatter analyzing the sample with the light ions, removing a thin layer of the sample by sputter etching, using a beam of medium-mass or high-mass ions to bombard the sample, backscatter analyzing the sputter etched sample, and repeatedly performing the steps of removing a thin layer of the sample and backscatter analyzing the sputter etched sample. An apparatus for performing the method includes an analysis chamber for retaining the sample to be analyzed, and first and second accelerators. The first accelerator generates fast, light ions with an energy from about 0.1 MeV to about 5.0 MeV to be directed into the chamber onto a predetermined region of the sample at a first desired predetermined bombardment angle so that the fast ions are scattered by the ions of the sample. The second accelerator accelerates a beam of slow medium-mass or high-mass ions with an energy from about 0.5 to about 10.0 keV to be directed onto the predetermined region of the sample at a second desired predetermined bombardment angle. The analysis chamber has a sample manipulator for manipulating the sample and an analyzer for determining the energy of the fast ion scattered by the atoms of the sample.