Ion beam surface interaction at grazing incidence

Various observations concerning the interaction mechanisms of ion beam surface interaction at grazing incidence (IBSIGI) are summarized and discussed. They include the dependence of the electronic orientation of surface scattered particles on surface properties and single crystal surface directions. Attempts will also be presented to relate the orientation observed after ion-atom collisions with impact parameter selection to the orientation seen after IBSIGI. They furthermore include the measurements of scattered beam characteristics as possible diagnostic tools for the quality of the surface. (orig.)