RAPID-DETERMINATION OF EROSION RATES WITH ELECTRON-BEAM SNMS

Erosion rates for sputtering of granular samples with 5 keV argon ions have been determined by mass loss measurements and a much faster meth od using atomic intensities of SNMS. Additionally, plane metal samples were measured for comparison. The investigation of metallic, ionic, o xidic and organic materials has revealed the validity of the SNMS meth od. However, the morphology of the sample has turned out to be of infl uence due to the usual angled arrangement of the bombardment and the d irection of analysis. The detection of an element in a plane surface h as been found to be by a factor of 3 more sensitive than in rugged sur faces such as particle ensembles. For all powders except KCl a mean no rmalised erosion rate Z over dot(AX)(n) = 2.3 [nm . cm(2)/s . mA] has been obtained with a standard deviation of +/- 42% of the individual v alues. The erosion of KCl has been about a magnitude faster.