Nuclear Materials and Energy (Sep 2023)
Experimental electronic stopping cross-section of tungsten bulk and sputter-deposited thin films for slow protons, deuterons and helium ions
Abstract
The experimental electronic stopping cross-section of tungsten for low-energy protons, deuterons, and helium ions is deduced from backscattering experiments from thin films and bulk using time-of-flight low-energy ion scattering (ToF-LEIS). Two complementary experimental approaches showed consistent results in the energy ranges of 0.3–10 keV for protons, 0.33–10 keV for deuterons, and 0.7–10 keV for He+ ions. In relative measurements, a Au sample was used as the reference, while in absolute energy loss measurements, sputter-deposited thin films of tungsten on carbon substrates were employed. The experimental energy-converted spectra were compared to Monte-Carlo simulations in both approaches for quantitative analysis taking the influence of plural and multiple scattering into account. The results show proportionality to the ion velocity. We discuss the present datasets in comparison to semiempirical modelling and predictions from theory.
