CHARACTERIZATION OF ALPHA-SOURCES BY RUTHERFORD BACKSCATTERING SPECTROMETRY

Radioactive sources for alpha spectrometry are usually prepared by ele ctrodeposition onto stainless steel backings (and sometimes heated). I n earlier work, using the conventional method with passivated implante d planar silicon detectors for the measurements, several sources had b een characterized in terms of various parameters by fitting the data o f each spectrum to a certain mathematical function. In the present wor k, the Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) technique with a 1 .6 MeV He+ beam was used to study the influence of those factors on th e surface distribution and depth profiles of the thin radionuclide lay ers. Simulations of the measurements using the RUMP computer code were made to interpret the data obtained in the different experiments. The correlations between the parameters measured using RBS and the result s of the alpha spectrometry are presented and discussed.