RBS-channeling gives opportunity for investigation of single-crystalline structures in the interstitial positions. The yield of back-scattered ions in aligned spectra (measured along the symmetry axis) is significantly decreased and the sensitivity on the light elements is enhanced due to reduced background. The preliminary RBS-channeling experiments were realized in the collaboration with Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Material Research -Forschungzentrum Rossendorf (FZR), which belongs to the best equipped IBA laboratories (Ion Beam Analysis) in Europe.
  The samples of lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) were measured to determine the precise position of laser active atoms (Er, Yb) in crystalline lattice and damage level caused by the technology for wave-guide fabrication. X-ray Difraction (XRD) analysis was also performed to obtain the possible crystal lattice changes. The results are the axial channel scans of prepared structures from which the position of laser active ion has been determined.
  New analytical technique, RBS-channeling, will be introduced for characterization of crystalline samples.
  This technique will open quite new possibilities in :

• Measurement and determination of host atom position in crystalline lattice with the precision about 0.01 nm.
  
• Evaluation of absolute amount of implanted, diffused etc. optical active atoms in the crystalline substrates.
  
• Determination of lattice structure changes under the treatment connected with the preparation of wave guiding structure (the increasing of the crystal cell, point defects, lattice distortion, depth profiles of dislocation density)
  
• Study of mixing of two crystalline structures in bi-metal lattice