It is important to note that these techniques yield elemental composition, independent of the type of chemical bonding present. Ion energies of several MeV can be created since the tandem accelerator operates by producing negative ions at ground potential and then uses a gas stripper at the high voltage terminal, thereby creating multiply charged states of positive ions which are accelerated to ground and selected by the bending magnet on the beamline where the sample chamber is located. IBA measurements are done in a high vacuum environment requiring samples to be clean and vacuum compatible. The ion beam is typically 1-2 mm2 in area. An additional beamline allows the ion beam to pass from the vacuum through a polymer window into the room atmosphere.
Samples placed at the beamline exit window can be X-ray analyzed in air.
This allows chemical composition analysis of samples which are large or liquid or in some way not vacuum compatible.