PIXE from thin films and amorphous alloys induced by medium energy heavy ions

Highlights: •Low energy heavy-ion PIXE were used for surface characterization. •It was performed in time sequence and at grazing incidence-exit geometry. •Stability of thin films against implantation and interface mixing was analyzed. •Sputtering of multicomponent alloys subjected to irradiation was monitored. -- Abstract: Characteristic X-rays emitted under impact of fast light ions with surfaces (PIXE) provide information not only on atomic excitation and further recombination processes but also on elemental composition and dynamics of restructuration of the surface. In this work radiation emitted during interaction of medium energy (∼200 keV) heavy ions (Ar, N) with Si (1 1 0) surface and with Fe/Si and Fe/Cu/Si thin (1–50 nm) films in grazing incidence-exit angle geometry were measured in time sequence in order to show that dynamics of selective modification of surface structure and composition can be monitored in-situ with PIXE. It is shown that surfaces of amorphous alloys are not stable against heavy ions (HI) irradiation due to preferential sputtering and implantation and that the dynamics of such modification can also be monitored with PIXE. The method is used for example to find detection limit for implanted Ar ions