The reliability of a mathematical model for atomic mixing and erosion in ca
se of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films treated with 300 eV oxygen i
ons, at different fluences, was tested using a linear regression program. S
tatistical results were compared with a proposed etching mechanism on the b
asis of XPS data. The mathematical model can be applied to the PET samples
for which an etching process in stationary regime takes place. (C) 2000 Els
evier Science B.V. All rights reserved.