Abstract
MEIS (Medium Energy Ion Scattering) analysis has the great advantage over other profiling methods such as SIMS and dynamic XPS and in that it can measure the absolute number of atoms in a sample without the complications of sputtering and matrix dependent effects, which are particularly important in shallow samples. Profiling by TEM/EDS does not suffer from these effects, but can only quantify profiles as atomic fractions. MEIS spectra can be transformed into depth profiles in terms of layers containing a number of atoms per unit area; converting such data to report layers of different thicknesses and atomic concentrations requires knowledge of the local density in each layer which is information strictly not contained in a straightforward MEIS energy spectrum.