Stopping of 0.3–1.2MeV/u protons and alpha particles in Si

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms Beam interactions with materials and atoms, 2008-09, Vol.266 (18), p.3899-3905
• Main Authors: Abdesselam, M., Ouichaoui, S., Azzouz, M., Chami, A.C., Siad, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Effective charge parameter; Electronic stopping cross section; Energy loss; Rutherford backscattering; Si//SiO2//Si target
• ISSN: 0168-583X; 1872-9584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2008.06.029

The stopping cross sections ε(E) of silicon for protons and alpha particles have been measured over the velocity range 0.3–1.2MeV/u from a Si//SiO2//Si (SIMOX) target using the Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) with special emphasis put on experimental aspects. A detection geometry coupling simultaneously two solid-state Si detectors placed at 165° and 150° relative to each side of the incident beam direction was used to measure the energies of the scattered ions and determine their energy losses within the stopping medium. In this way, the basic energy parameter, Ex, at the Si/SiO2 interface for a given incident energy E0 is the same for ions backscattered in the two directions off both the Si and O target elements, and systematic uncertainties in the ε(E) data mainly originating from the target thickness are significantly minimized. A powerful computer code has been elaborated for extracting the relevant ε(E) experimental data and the associated overall uncertainty that amounts to less than 3%. The measured ε(E) data sets were found to be in fair agreement with Paul’s compilation and with values calculated by the SRIM 06 computer code. In the case of 4He+ ions, experimental data for the γ effective charge parameter have been deduced by scaling the measured stopping cross sections to those of protons crossing the same target with the same velocity, and compared to the predictions of the SRIM 06 computer code. It is found that the γ-parameter values generated by the latter code slightly deviate from experiment over the velocity region around the stopping cross section maximum where strong charge exchanges usually occur.