CONTRIBUTION OF THE SURFACE MECHANISM TO SPUTTERING OF (0 0 1) NI : MOLECULAR DYNAMICS COMPUTER SIMULATION STUDIES

Abstract We calculated the contribution to sputtering yield of atoms strongly blocked towards the surface normal during ejection, sputtered at final polar angles ϑ e less than initial polar ejection angles ϑ o , for Ar + ion bombardment of (0 0 1) face of single crystal Ni at normal incidence. The dominant contribution of the surface mechanism (i.e. of atoms sputtered due to blocking during ejection) to sputtering was found for low ion energies. It was shown that for 1000 eV Ar + ion bombardment of (0 0 1) Ni the contribution of strongly blocked ejected atoms resulted in the shift of the maximum of polar angular distribution of sputtered atoms from the surface normal with increase of sputtered atoms energy (for energies greater than 20 eV).