Energy Transfer in Particle-Surface Collisions

Energy transfer in collisions of single neutral and ionized particles with surfaces is reviewed. Collision energy domains (thermal to MeV) are only briefly characterized, as the main emphasis is on energy transfer in collisions of slow particles. Basic features of energy transfer in surface collisions of thermal and slightly hyperthermal neutral atoms, molecules, and clusters are described. Results on surface collisions of ions (hyperthermal energy region from 1 eV to about 1 keV) are discussed separately for atomic, simple molecular, polyatomic, and cluster ions. Neutralization processes of ions at surfaces are outlined. The important problem of energy transfer and dissociation in polyatomic ion-surface interactions is treated in more detail.