Rutherford scattering of energetic (MeV) atomic particles has been used for many years as a simple quantitative tool for analyzing high-mass impurities on the surface of a low-mass substrate. However, recent experiments in single crystal substrates have shown that, by rising a channeled beam, the value of Rutherford scattering as an analytical technique can be enhanced in several ways. For example, (1) the sensitivity is increased sufficiently to detect even low-mass impurities on the surface; (2) the composition of thin oxide or nitride surface layers can be measured directly; (3) the lattice location of the impurity atoms can often be accurately specified; and (4) the amount of lattice distortion in the surface region can be observed. A brief description of the basic principles of channeling and of Rutherford scattering is given, followed by some examples illustrating their combined use in studying the surface region of single crystals.