Abstract
The recently discovered phenomenon of potential sputtering, i.e., the efficient removal of neutral and ionized target particles from certain insulator surfaces due to the potential rather than the kinetic energy of impinging slow highly charged ions, has now also been observed for stoichiometric surfaces. Using a sensitive quartz crystal microbalance technique, total sputter yields induced by and ions have been determined for LiF and surfaces. The primary mechanisms for potential sputtering (defect mediated sputtering) and its considerable practical relevance for highly charged ion-induced surface modification of insulators are discussed.
- Received 12 March 1997
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.79.945
©1997 American Physical Society