ERDA with swift heavy ions for materials characterization

Elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) is a technique specially suited for depth profiling of light elements, which overcomes the limitations of Rutherford backscattering (RBS). The developments in the technique enabled depth profiling of elements from hydrogen up to very heavy elements with single element resolution in the light mass region. The use of large area position sensitive telescope detectors made it a highly sensitive technique with which ion beam induced modifications such as interface mixing, electronic sputtering and radiation damage studies can be performed during irradiation itself.