Scattering of low-energy ions from a solid surface: Transport theory calculation of the reflection coefficient

Scattering of low-energy (a few keV) ions from a solid surface is studied. Numerical simulation contributes significantly in the understanding of physical processes encountered in ion–surface interaction. A model based on the transport theory is used to calculate reflection coefficient of the scattered particles in the incidence plane. This method is valuable for low incidence and scattering angles. Multiple scattering of incident ions is included and the binary collision approximation is assumed. Angular distributions of the reflection coefficient are then obtained for different cases. Comparison of these results with Monte Carlo simulation (TRIM) and other results is performed; finally a discussion is given.