SBIR Phase I: Positron Auger Spectroscopy for Advanced Materials Analysis

9861318这项第一阶段研究将决定将正电子-电子湮没过程发展为新一代俄歇电子能谱(俄歇电子谱)仪器的可行性。众所周知，低能正电子与固体表面的碰撞，在正电子与固体中的核能级电子湮没后，产生大量的二次电子和俄歇电子。这种正电子俄歇电子能谱(PAES)的本征信噪比(S/N)比常规电子束俄歇电子能谱(EAES)高出几个数量级，这就是PAES的吸引力所在。我们将建立一个实验正电子源或束，使用22Na作为正电子发射器和各种离子光学元件，将该束传输到放置在商用AES仪器上的样品的表面。因此，这项可行性研究将直接对相同样品的PAES和EAES进行比较，以便更好地评估PAES可能提高的灵敏度。这项研究将由Charles Evans Associates和北德克萨斯大学的David Golden教授合作完成。PAES的成功开发将引入一种更灵敏的表面分析技术，用于高科技材料的顶层原子层的化学分析。这项研究还可能导致正电子源的发展，将传统的AES仪器转换为PAES工具。

9861318 This Phase I research will determine the feasibility of developing positron-electron annihilation processes into an innovative generation of Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) instruments. It is well known that collisions of low energy positrons with solid surfaces produces copious quantities of secondary and Auger electrons after positron annihilation with a core level electron in the solid. The intrinsic signal-to-noise (S/N) of this positron AES (PAES) is several orders of magnitude higher than conventional electron beam AES (EAES) and therein lies the attraction of PAES. We will build an experimental positron source or beam using 22Na as the positron emitter and various ion optical elements to transport this beam to surfaces of samples placed on commercial AES instruments. This feasibility research will thus directly compare PAES and EAES for identical samples in order to better assess the possible sensitivity improvements of PAES. This research will be a collaboration between Charles Evans Associates and Professor David Golden at the University of North Texas. The successful development of PAES will introduce a more sensitive surface analysis technique for chemical analysis of the top atomic layers of high technology materials. This research could also lead to the development of positron sources to convert conventional AES instruments into PAES tools.