Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T04:55:41.011Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

X-Ray Production Efficiencies for K-, L-, M-, and N-Shell Excitation by Ion Impact

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2019

P. B. Needham Jr.
Affiliation:
College Park Metallurgy, Research Center, Bureau of Mines, United States Department of the Interior, College Park, Maryland 20740
B. D. Sartwell
Affiliation:
College Park Metallurgy, Research Center, Bureau of Mines, United States Department of the Interior, College Park, Maryland 20740
Get access

Abstract

A systematic study of the production of characteristic X-rays by both light and heavy charged particles has been made. Using protons in the energy range 70-200 keV, data have been obtained for twenty-one X-ray lines encompassing a wavelength region from 1.44 to 44.00 Å from K-, L-, M-, and N-shells of elements with 6 ≤ Z ≤ 92. Additional X-ray production efficiencies have been measured in the K-, L-, M-, and N-shells using incident H2+, He++, N++, O++, and Ar++ ions in the energy range 90-400 keV. The ion beams were obtained from a 300 kV electrostatic accelerator, and beam analysis was obtained using a 7 kilogauss analysing magnet.

The data for proton excitation show that, for X-rays of a given wavelength, the X-ray production efficiency increases with the principal quantum number of the atomic shell being excited. These results contradict results reported by Sterk et al, but agree with results obtained earlier by Khan et al.

The results also show that the use of heavy ions (z > 5; obtains X-ray yields which are orders of magnitude higher than a repredicted by the direct scattering theory as used for protons and alpha particles.

Ion excitation of X-rays has been applied to the study of the oxidation kinetics of iron as part of a surface physics program. The wide range of target penetration depth as a function of both mass and energy of the ion has allowed us to study oxide film thickness as a function of oxidation temperature and impurity depth and concentration. Data are presented for protons and argon ions incident on high- purity ion with surface oxide films varying in thickness from 35 Å to 750 Å. Oxygen and carbon sensitivities to equivalents of fractional monolayers are routinely obtained using nondispersive analysis of the X-rays.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © International Centre for Diffraction Data 1970

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Sterk, A. A., “X-Ray Generation by Proton Bombardment,” in: Mueller, W. M., Mallett, G. R., and Fay, M. J., Editors, Advances in X-Ray Analysis, Vol. 8, p. 189197, Plenum Press, (1964).Google Scholar
Chadwick, J., Phil. Mag. 25., 293, (1913).Google Scholar
Lewis, H. W., Simmons, B. E. and Merabacher, E., “Production of Characteristic X- rays by Protons of 1.7 t o 3 meV Energy,” Phys. Rev. 91: 943, (1953).Google Scholar
Messelt, S., “K-shell Ionization by Protons,” Nuclear Physics, 5: 436446, (1958).Google Scholar
Merzbacher, E. and Lewis, H. W., “X- ray Production by Heavy Charged Particles,” in Flugge, S., Editor, Encyclopedia of Physics, Vol. 34, p. 166, Springer-Verlag (1958).Google Scholar
Jopson, R. C., Hans Mark and Swift, C. D., “Production of Characteristic X- rays by Low-Energy ProtonsPhys. Rev. 127: 1612, (1962)Google Scholar
Khan, J. M. and Potter, D. L., “Characteristic K-shell X- ray Production in Mg, Al, and Cu by 60- t o 500-keV Protons,” Phys, Rev. 133.: A890, (1964).Google Scholar
Khan, J. M., Potter, D. L., and Worley, R. D., “Characteristic X- ray Production in the M-shell of Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho by 25 t o 100 keV Protons,” Phys. Rev. 135: A511, (1964).Google Scholar
Khan, J. M., Potter, D. L., and Worley, E. D., “Characteristic X- ray Production in the Mv Shell in Ytterbium “by 30-100 keV Protons,” Phys. Rev. 136; A108 (1964).Google Scholar
Khan, J. H., Potter, D. L. and Worley, E. D., “Studies in X- ray Production by Protons Bombardment of C, Mg, Al, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho,” Phys. Rev. 132.: A1735, (1965).Google Scholar
Khan, J. M., Potter, D. L., and Worley, E. D., “X- ray Production in the L-shell of Copper by 25 t o 1700 keV Protons,” Phys. Rev. 145: 23, (1966).Google Scholar
Khan, J. M., Potter, D. L., and Worley, E. D., “Characteristic X- ray Production in Single Crystals (Al, Cu) by Proton Bombardment. I.,” Phys. Rev. 148: 413, (1966).Google Scholar
Brandt, W., Laubert, R., and Sellin, I., “Ionization Cross Sections of Mg, Al, and Cu by Low Energy Protons and Helium Ions,” Phys. Rev. 151: 56, (1966).Google Scholar
Sterk, A. A., Marks, C. L. and Saylor, W. P., “Production Efficiencies of X- ray Emission Spectra by Proton Bombardment,” in Mallett, G. E., Fay, M. J. and Mueller, W. M., Editors, Advances in X- ray Analysis, Vol. 9, p. 399407, Plenum Press, (1966).Google Scholar
Brandt, W. and Laubert, R., “Ionization of the Aluminum K Shell by Low Energy Hydrogen and Helium Ions,” Phys. Rev. 178: 225, (1969).Google Scholar
Hart, E. R., Reuter, F. W. III, and Smith, H. P. Jr., “Oxygen K-shell X- ray Production in Thin Films of Al Oxide by 2C to 100 keV Protons,” Phys. Rev., 179.: 164, (1969).Google Scholar
Heedham, P. B., and Sartwell, B. D., “ion Excitation of Characteristic X- rays for Elements with 72 ≤ Z ≤ 92,” Phys. Rev. A ( to be published Nov. 1970).Google Scholar
Der, R. C., Kavanaugh, T. M., Khan, J. M., Curry, B. P. and Fortner, R. J., “Production of Carbon Characteristic X- rays by Heavy - Ion Bombardment,” Phys. Rev. Letters 21: 1731, (1968).Google Scholar
Der, R. C., Fortner, R. J., Kavanaugh, T. M., and Khan, J. M., “Cross Sections for Inner Shell Vacancy Production in Ion-Atom Collisions,” (to be published).Google Scholar
Fortner, R. J., Curry, B. P., Der, E. C., Kavanaugh, T. M., and Khan, J. M., “X- ray Production in C+-C Collisions in the Energy Range 20 keV t o 1.5 meV,” Phys. Rev. l85: l64 (1969).Google Scholar
Heedham, P. B. Jr. and Sartwell, B. D., “Excitation of Al K and Hf M X- ray Lines by 70-400 keV H+, He++, N++, O++, and Ar++ Ions,” Phys. Rev. A2: 27, (1970).Google Scholar
Brandt, W. and Laubert, R., “Pauli Excitation of Atoms in Collision,” Phys. Rev. Letters 24: 1037, (1970).Google Scholar
Needham, P. B. Jr. , “Applications of High Velocity Ions to Metallurgy Research,” Proceedings of 2nd Conference on The Use of Small Accelerators for Teaching and Research ORNL, May 1970.Google Scholar
Reference to specific “brands is made to facilitate understanding and does not imply endorsement of such items by the Bureau of Mines.Google Scholar
Marks, C. L., Saylor, W. P., and Sterk, A. A., “X- ray Analysis by Proton Bombardment,” Proceedings of 2nd Symposium on Low Energy X- and Gamma Sources and Applications, ORNL-11C-10: Vol. II, p. 587, (1967).Google Scholar
Bissinger, G. A., Joyce, J. M., Ludwig, E. J., McEver, W. S., and Shafroth, S. M., ”Study of the Production of K X- rays in Ca, Ti, and Ni by 2-28 MeV Protons,“ Phys. Rev. 1: A841, (1970).Google Scholar
Hart, R. R., Olson, N. T., and Smith, H. P., “Oxygen Surface- Density Measurements Rased on Characteristic X—ray Production by 100-keV Protons,” Journal of Applied Physics 39.: 5538, (1968).Google Scholar
Marks, C. L. and Saylor, W. P., “Measurement of Thin Oxide Surface Film Thicknesses and Atomic Densities by the Analysis of Positive Ion Excited Soft X-Ray Spectra,” in Barrett, C. S., Mallett, G. R., and Hewkirk, J. B., Editors, Advances in X-Ray Analysis, Vol. 12, p. 457479, Plenum Press, (1968).Google Scholar