Electronic stopping power of hydrogen in KCl at the stopping maximum and at very low energies

The electronic energy loss of hydrogen ions in KCl was investigated in a wide energy range. Thin films of KCl were evaporated on an Au/Si substrate. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) was performed with protons and deuterons at energies from 30 to 400 keV/nucleon. At lower energies experiments were performed by Time-Of-Flight Low energy ion scattering (TOF-LEIS) again with proton and deuteron projectiles. Experimental results are compared to calculated/tabulated values for the electronic energy loss. Whereas at energies beyond the stopping maximum very good agreement is found, at lower ion energies discrepancies between experiment and calculations increase. At very low ion velocities the extrapolated stopping cross section ε predicts vanishing electronic energy loss at energies below 100 eV/nucleon.

► Electronic interactions of keV ions with insulators.
► Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and low energy ion scattering.
► Ultrathin films of insulators on metals.
► Electronic structure of insulators affects stopping power.