Ion Sorption in the Presence of Sputtering

Abstract

A model to describe the sorption of gas during the ion bombardment of solid surfaces has been developed in analytical terms, assuming any general form for the ion penetration probability. It is shown how continuous measurement of the quantity of gas sorbed, up to saturation conditions, can lead to a deduction of the form of the penetration function, and how investigation of the depth distribution at saturation can also lead to the form of this function. It is emphasized that in order to obtain the exact form of the penetration function from the depth distribution, either saturation conditions must be attained or very small quantities of gas must be sorbed.