Abstract

We present the first reported observation of laser multiphoton ionization of neutral atomic hydrogen that has undergone electron-stimulated desorption (BSD) from an adsorbate-covered tungsten surface. Of the many species identified in BSD, one of the most interesting and important is H⁺, because hydrogen is involved in most surface chemical reactions and is not readily detectable with most surface techniques. We have found that the flux of desorbed neutral atomic hydrogen is on the order of 10³ to 10⁴ times that of desorbed H⁺. In addition, for electron-beam energies in the range of 100–300 eV, we find no evidence for the desorption of excited-state neutral hydrogen.

© 1984 Optical Society of America