Abstract
Non-Rutherford cross section for elastic scattering of α particles from oxygen has been measured for energies between 2.4 and 6.0 MeV at commonly used backscattering angles of 165° and 170°. High precision in energy has been obtained with a 2 MV Tandetron accelerator, with precise and stable energy calibration. The choice of a thin Ta2 O5 TaC standard increased the sensitivity and reduced systematic errors due to the geometry. Precise data for energy, width, and ratio to Rutherford of the resonances have been extracted from nuclear shell models, and excitation levels of Ne20 have been deduced. The well-known resonance ER =3031.7±0.5 keV and the narrow and intense resonance ER =5375.5±0.5 keV, not included in cross-section libraries, have been applied for surface oxygen analysis in thin WCNSi O2 Si multilayer samples, with improved depth resolution by optimizing the measuring geometry. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.