In the Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA) and Heavy Ion Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (HIRBS), silicon surface barrier (SSB) detectors as well as other types of Si charged particle detectors are conventionally used for measuring ion energy due to their simplicity and ease of use. Energy resolution of such detectors is a limiting factor for both, mass and depth resolution in the experiment. In the present work we have studied performance of the commercially available F series ORTEC SSB detector designed in particular for heavy ion spectroscopy (BF-023-300-60). Detector energy and mass resolution were measured for a wide range of ion masses (7Li, 16O, 28Si, 35Cl and 81Br) and energies (2–20MeV). Obtained results were compared with the already published data for a standard A series ORTEC SSB detector (BA-017-100-100) and gas ionization chambers. Possible application of the F series SSB detector in time-of-flight ERDA (TOF-ERDA) spectrometer was discussed.