SPUTTERING OF METAL-ALLOYS AT ELEVATED-TEMPERATURES

Investigations of the recently discovered effect of the anomalous decr ease of the sputtering yield (Y) of one- and two-phase metal alloys at elevated temperatures are presented. Cu-Ni (2, 5, 10, 20, 50 at.% Fe) and Cu-Fe (5, 20 at.% Ni) alloys were irradiated by Ar+ ions (E = 600 eV, j = 0.085-2 mA cm-2). On the bombarded surface of the alloys, rel ief developed and a concomitant fall of the sputtering yield was obser ved in the temperature range 300-900-degrees-C. The sputtering yield o f the alloys containing from 5 to 20 at.% Fe or Ni under Ar+ ion bomba rdment (600 eV, 2.0 mA cm-2) was half of their values at room temperat ure. The decrease of Y was much higher when the ion current density dr opped from 2.0 to 0.085 mA cm-2. The decrease of Y and relief formatio n were unchanged when the ion energy dropped from 600 to 100 eV. The a bove mentioned phenomena are described on the basis of a cone growth m echanism presented in ref. [1]. (L.B. Begrambekov and A.M. Zakharov. I zv. Rossijsk. Akad. Nauk. Ser. Phys. 56 (1992) 30).