LOW FLUENCE LASER SPUTTERING OF GOLD AT 532 NM

Angle velocity distributions of 532 nm laser sputtered gold atoms are measured. No emission is seen at low fluence unless melt structure is first induced on the gold surface. Following melting, the velocity dis tribution at 1.4 J/cm(2) is Boltzmann at 6500 K and the angular distri bution is cosine. At 4.9 J/cm(2) the anole velocity distribution shows collisional modification. These data contradict thermal sputtering bu t may result from surface plasmon excitation. (C) 1997 American Instit ute of Physics.