H. Plank et al., SURFACE-COMPOSITION MODIFICATIONS OF CARBIDES AND DOPED GRAPHITES DUETO D-BOMBARDMENT( ION), Surface & coatings technology, 83(1-3), 1996, pp. 93-98
Surface composition modifications due to D+ ion bombardment with energ
ies between 10 eV and 1 keV at temperatures ranging from 300 K to 1000
K and the consequences for the sputtering yields and chemical erosion
have been investigated for SIG, TiC and graphites doped with 10 at.%
Si or 10 at.% Ti. At D+ ion energies below about 100 eV, a steady-stat
e surface enrichment of the metal has been observed both in the carbid
es and in the doped graphites. The maximum enrichment was nearly 100 a
t.% in SiC, about 75 at.% in TiC and about 70 at.% and 60 at.% in Si-
and Ti-doped graphite, respectively. In SiC the temperature and the io
n energy dependence of the Si surface enrichment reflects the chemical
erosion, i.e. the surface depletion of carbon. The surface enrichment
of the metal in TiC is caused by the threshold energy of 33 eV for Ti
sputtering by D+ irradiation. In both doped graphites after D+ bombar
dment, the development of a cone structure has been observed. The tops
of these cones consist of Si- or Ti-rich grains shielding the underly
ing graphite material from erosion. Thus, the steady-state metal surfa
ce enrichment under D+ bombardment can be explained by considering the
surface topography and the metal surface enrichment of the correspond
ing carbide.