Atomic and fullerene ions interacting with metal surfaces

Recent progress of studies on the interaction of keV atomic and fullerene ions during grazing scattering from solid surfaces is reported. We focus on electron capture processes for two systems that have been investigated in detail during the last years, the neutralization of He and C60 ions at metal surfaces. Both species can be considered as model systems for Auger neutralization and for resonant neutralization of a large molecule, respectively. Basic experimental concepts and results obtained for scattering from an Al(100) surface are discussed.