The use of very heavy ion beams such as 127I or 197Au with 1-2 MeV/u makes ERDA (elastic recoil detection analysis) a quite universal technique for thin film analysis capable of analyzing simultaneously light and heavy elements including H with almost constant sensitivity. Due to the strong increase of the recoil cross section with the projectile atomic number typically less than 10 12 ions are required to get sensitivities in the 100 ppm range. Detector systems with particle identification are advantageous for ERDA, which can be improved additionally regarding depth resolution and detection efficiency, if the kinematic energy spread is corrected. The characteristic features of heavy ion ERDA will be briefly outlined and illustrated by several examples using a position sensitive detector system. Some general problems and limitations, which are caused by heavy ion beams, will also be discussed.    «

The use of very heavy ion beams such as 127I or 197Au with 1-2 MeV/u makes ERDA (elastic recoil detection analysis) a quite universal technique for thin film analysis capable of analyzing simultaneously light and heavy elements including H with almost constant sensitivity. Due to the strong increase of the recoil cross section with the projectile atomic number typically less than 10 12 ions are required to get sensitivities in the 100 ppm range. Detector systems with particle identification are...    »