Relative sputtering yields from close-packed directions in nickel under low-energy Ar bombardment

A new approach to low-energy sputtering was developed wherein a monoenergetic Ar⁺ ion beam of the order of 10^?9 A impinged onto a crystalline nickel target. Target preparation consisted of plating about 100 monolayers of high specific activity Ni-63 onto a coldrolled nickel substrate and then heating the target above its recrystallization temperature under ultra-high vacuum. The result was a highly ordered polycrystalline structure which, when sputtered, behaved like the (100) surface of a nickel single crystal. Approximately 25 percent of the surface atoms were Ni-63. Sputtered material was collected on a molybdenum foil which was subsequently analyzed by radiotracer techniques.

Experimental results concerning sputtering from 110] and 100] close-packed directions in nickel under bombardment by Ar⁺ ions of energy 25 eV to 600 eV are reported. The relative sputtering yields from 110] directions are presented as a function of incident ion energy for 75° and 15° ion incidence measured with respect to the 110] directions, and the extrapolated thresholds are compared with theoretical predictions.

In addition to the expected deposits on the foil due to sputtering from individual closepacked directions, secondary deposits occurred which are attributed to specular reflection of sputtered nickel atoms from the molybdenum foil.