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The NEC Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) Endstation, Model RC43, is a versatile accessory to Pelletrons or other ion beam accelerators. The endstation, when combined with a Pelletron accelerator, provides a complete IBA system offering automatic unattended data collection and can perform qualititave analysis using multiple techniques such as RBS, ERD, NRA and PIXE simultaneously.
Applications
The RC43 endstation is capable of many IBA techniques, each of which have a long list of applications.
The RC43 Endstation can include detectors for the following technique:
Rutherford Backscattering (RBS)
Elastic Recoil Detection (ERD)*
Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA)*
Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE)*
Particle Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE)*
Ion beam induced luminescence (IBIL)*
*optional
NEC also offers a microprobe for beam sizes of 20 microns and external beam capabilities.
Please see our Techniques section for further information on these techniques and their applications.
Design
Chamber
The scattering chamber is constructed primarily from aluminum with a 17″ (43cm) inside diameter and an 8″ (20cm) inside height. The base of the chamber provides stable support for the target manipulator, solid state particle detector, beam collimator, and turbo-molecular pump. The chamber has a view port, target alignment laser, and video camera. A target load lock is placed in the lid to permit quick (less than 5 minute) changes of target holders while maintaining high vacuum.
The chamber can accommodate up to 16 samples, 1cm x 1cm, side by side. It is electrically isolated and can be used as a Faraday cup for precise beam current measurements.
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Sample
Fixed SSB at 170°
Moveable SSB and Filters at 180° to 30°
X-Ray Detector
Gamma Detector at 0°
X-ray Detector Filters
Zoom Camera
Microprobe Lens
Light
Chamber
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Target Manipulator
The RC43 incorporates a manipulator with a motorized rotary drive. This manipulator allows precise control of target movement in the X, Y, and Z directions with polar and azimuthal rotation. The stepper motor controller interfaces with the control computer and will control all five (5) motors at one time. Local control of the manipulator is also available when adding samples.
Current Integrator
A digital current integrator is provided to measure total ion beam currents and provide gate signals for the RBS or NRA measurements by monitoring total ion current on the target.
Pumps and Valves
A turbo-molecular pump and forepump are furnished to pump the target chamber and beamline near the chamber and the target load lock. Solenoid and pneumatic valves with appropriate controllers and gauges are provided to automatically pump out or vent the chamber.
Control and Data Analysis
Sample positioning and data acquisition with the RC43 endstation is accomplished with a remote control system. This control system includes software for both qualitiative and quantitative analysis.
Qualitative analysis – performed by the RC43 Analytical Data Collection software.
Features:
Up to 6 spectra can be gathered simultaneously including RBS, ERD, NRA, and PIXE
Analysis of sample is fast, verified, qualitatively complete, and real time
Capable of printing plots of channeling and microprobe data
Quantitative analysis – performed by the RUMP program developed by L.R. Doolittle of Cornell University as well as other analysis programs.
Features:
Allows for automatic calibration of the theoretical model and automatic chi-squared fitting of the model to the experimental data
Data may be presented either in depth profile format or various yield vs. energy formats
An element’s surface scattering energy and height can be displayed
Peak thickness can be calculated and a peak can be plotted in atomic fraction vs. depth format
Up to 10 spectra can be plotted and overlaid with color and line styles automatically changed
Selective plots of individual elements can be done to separate overlapping data
The RC43 control system also communicates with the accelerator control system itself, receiving beam energy information and sending instructions to produce the optimal beam conditions during real time runs.
Accessories
NEC offers, as an option, a High Resolution RBS detector system. This detector adds the capability of Ångstrom range depth profiling.