The document discusses using artificial neural networks (ANNs) for ion beam analysis. Specifically, it discusses:
1) Using ANNs to analyze Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) data in an automated way, by recognizing patterns in the data related to sample properties without explicit knowledge of causes.
2) Training ANNs on datasets of RBS spectra with known sample parameters to allow the ANNs to relate spectral features to things like layer thickness, composition, and depth.
3) The potential for ANNs to enable real-time automated analysis and optimization of ion beam experiments.