MATERIAL ANALYSIS AND SURFACE INTERACTION STUDIES USING LASER RESONANT MULTIPHOTON IONIZATION

Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (RIS) technique is an ultrasensitive method of detection of atoms and molecules. Application of RIS to material analysis requires an atomization step which is based in our set-up on ion beam sputtering. We present a review of the analytical studies we have performed demonstrating the very attractive potentialities of this method. RIS can be also used to study the surface sputtering process itself. Basic mechanisms of low energy laser desorption and vaporisation of metal samples have been investigated in this way