Elastic recoil detection of light elements (C, N, O) with high energy (10-15 MeV) He beams

Elastic recoil detection (ERD) of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen from thin films on thick substrates was demonstrated using 10-15 MeV He2+ ions and thin films detectors. Non-Rutherford scattering was used to alter the relative sensitivities for carbon, nitrogen and oxygen by selecting specific recoil angles and incident energies. A depth resolution of 15 nm near the surface can be easily achieved as well as probing depths up to approximately 500 nm.