Rutherford Back-Scattering characteristics

In Rutherford back scattering, RBS, one uses a primary beam of high energy H+ or He+ ions (1-5 MeV), which scatter from the nuclei of the atoms in the target. A fraction of the incident ions is scattered back and is subsequently analyzed for energy. As in LEIS, the energy spectrum represents a mass spectrum, but this time it is characteristic for the interior of the sample [7]. The technique has successfully been applied to determine the concentration of, for example, rhodium in model systems where the rhodium is present in sub monolayer quantities on thin, conducting oxide films [19]. 

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