Based on the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) observation on energetic-particle induced damage on the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG)

a novel energetic-particle counter has been developed. The detection efficiency of the detector for heavy ions with keV energies is near 1. The count range is between 0.1×10 9-1×10 9ions·cm -2 and 0.1×10 14 -1×10 14 ions·cm -2 . With the atomic-resolution of STM

the counter can study the distribution of energetic particles in nano-scale. It can be used to detect the penetration behavior of low-energy ions through thin solid target.