Nitrogen and hydrogen depth profiling with MaRPel

Abstract

We report on the first measurements carried out with the new accelerator facility MaRPel (Materials Research Pelletron) in Gottingen. Samples of pure tantalum were irradiated with a pulsed nanosecond excimer laser in the UV wavelength range in a nitrogen atmosphere. The laser-nitrided tantalum samples were perfectly suited for testing a low-level set-up for resonant nuclear reactions analysis. The samples also allowed for a recalibration of the mass separator maanet, which was necessary after moving the 3 MV NEC-Pelletron from the Max Planck Institut fur Kernphysik in Heidelberg to the University of Gottingen. In addition, it is shown that the low-level set-up allows high resolution hydrogen depth profiling. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.