Heavy-Ion-Induced X-Ray Spectrometry for Chemical Analysis

High resolution x-ray spectrometry in combination with excitation by heavy-ion bombardment provides a number of prospective ways of obtaining information relating to the chemical state of a substance. The relative intensity distribution of the K¿ x-ray satellites arising from multiply ionized atoms is sensitive to the chemical environment and in some cases might be profitably employed to distinguish between various chemical species. At resolutions sufficient to discern features of the multiplet structure associated with the angular momentum coupling of unpaired electrons, it is found that the multiplet intensities are also sensitive to the environment and are therefore capable of providing additional chemical information. For elements below phosphorous in the periodic table, the K¿ satellites overlap the K absorption edge, thereby providing a convenient and accurate means of measuring K binding energies. In this way, chemical shifts equivalent to those obtained by ESCA may be determined.