Comparison To Other Analytical Techniques
- Medium energy ion scattering (MEIS) and Rutherford backscattering (RBS) spectroscopies involve a similar setup to LEIS but use ions in the energy range of ~100 keV (MEIS) and ~1-2 MeV (RBS) to probe surfaces. Surface sensitivity is lost as a result of the use of higher energy particles, so while MEIS and RBS can still provide information about a sample they are incapable of providing true first-layer sensitivity.
- Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) involves the detection of ionic species ejected from a surface as a result of energetic particle impact. While SIMS is capable of giving depth profiles of the elemental composition of a sample, it is an inherently destructive method and is generally does not give structural information.
- X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is capable of surface elemental analysis, but samples a much more broad region of a sample than LEIS and so is not able to distinguish the first layer from subsurface layers. Since XPS relies on ejection of core-level electrons from atoms it is unable to detect hydrogen or helium atoms in a sample.
- Low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) is often used in combination with LEIS in order to facilitate proper sample alignment. LEED can give detailed structural information about a sample including surface superstructures and alignment of adsorbates. LEED is not element-specific and so cannot be used to determine surface elemental composition.
- Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) involves the detection of electrons emitted as a result of core hole excitation and relaxation processes. Since the process involves core levels it is insensitive to hydrogen and helium atoms. AES results may typically be used to infer information on the chemical environment of particular atoms in a surface.
Read more about this topic: Low-energy Ion Scattering
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