A comparative study of Auger neutralization (AN) of He ions at noble metal surfaces is presented in order to reveal how the electronic structure of the sample influences this charge exchange process. Comparison of calculated ion fractions to experimental data obtained in low energy ion scattering (LEIS) shows that good agreement is achieved only if the relevant aspects of the He-metal interaction are properly taken into consideration. For instance AN depends sensitively on the distance-dependent position of the projectile level, which varies significantly when considering different target materials.

• Received 22 June 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.84.165428