Two-dimensional hydrogen analysis on solid surfaces by time-of-flight electron-stimulated desorption microscope

Hydrogen analysis on a solid surface has been performed using the electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) method. ESD is a highly sensitive technique for hydrogen analysis due to an isotope effect of desorbed ions. The scanning system of the ESD method which used a finely focused electron gun, reveals a two-dimensional hydrogen distribution on the surface. The spatial resolution is smaller than 1 mu m. The degradation of patterning on the hydrogen terminated surface (a kind of radiation damage) by repeated scanning on the lithographed lines, related to the cross section of ion desorption, is discussed.