Absolute measurement of total photo desorption yield of solid neon in vacuum ultraviolet range

Absolute yields of photo-induced desorption at the surface of solid Ne have been measured at wavelengths of incident light between 25 and 100 nm. There is a strong dependence of the total desorption yield of Ne on both the excitation energy and the thickness of Ne films. On a thick him, the desorption yield is 1-2 atoms per photon by bulk exciton excitation and 2-10 atoms per photon by bulk ionization. These values are quantitatively explained by an internal sputtering mechanism. By the surface exciton excitation, the yield is 0.1-0.3 atoms per photon, which value means that the desorption probability of the surface exciton is almost unity. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.