Spectral and Analytical Information

An IBSCA-spectrum (Fig. 4.48) consists of many peaks in the visible range (250-900 nm). Every peak can be related to an process of electron de-excitation of a sputtered particle from a higher to a lower state, for the more dominant peaks to the ground state. There are, in principle, two major types of peak family type I - photons emitted from excited sputtered secondary neutrals and type II - photons emitted from excited sputtered secondary ions (single charged). 

The peaks can be identified from tables of spectra [4.262]. The variety of electronic transitions allowed results in many peaks in the visible range these are sometimes 

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