Channeling technique in surface studies

The combination of Auger-electron spectroscopy and low-energy electron diffraction is probably the most useful and widely used technique for performing a chemical and structural analysis of solid surfaces. Quantitative measurements, however, are often difficult or even impossible to perform. It therefore seems worthwhile to search for supplementing new techniques. The channeling effect seems to offer a good basis for such a new technique. The present talk presents a brief summary of the fundamental channeling processes necessary for the understanding of the technique. It describes a UHV apparatus offering the possibility of performing analysis by low-energy electron diffraction, Auger-electron spectroscopy, and channeling. Finally, it illustrates its application to some surface studies