The surface of complex oxides; ion beam based analysis of energy materials

Abstract LEIS depth profiles, obtained by low energy (0.5 keV) Ar+ sputtering, have been analysed for the mixed conducting oxide material La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ. Samples have been examined after differing thermal treatments to examine the sub-surface reorganisation of the cation species. The profiles have shown considerable changes, but these are not strongly correlated with the thermal treatments. The similarity between the profiles suggests that preferential sputtering effects can dominate the sub-surface region (~1–3 nm) where sputtering has not reached equilibrium. Preferential sputtering of oxygen in oxide materials is well known, but here we provide evidence of the preferential sputtering of the cationic species in a complex multicomponent oxide. Of note is strong enrichment (~30%) of the sputtered surface with the heaviest of the elements, La. Simulations using the code TRIDYN have confirmed the observations, in particular, La surface enrichment and the fluence needed to achieve steady state sputtering of > 3 × 1016 cm−2.