Exploring the World of Surfaces with Ion Beams

When fast ions strike the surface of a material, their interactions cause X-rays, electrons, and particles to be emitted. Techniques that measure these emissions to elucidate the properties of surfaces are applied in a wide range of fields, including the inspection of electronic devices, the analysis of biological samples, and the non-destructive examination of cultural heritage objects. In this talk, I will outline the basic principles of ion beam analysis and present concrete examples of its applications to surface analysis.