2008/02/14 by John T. Yim, John Yim, Michael L. Falk +1
Chemistry · Engineering · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Analytical Chemistry (journal) #Atomic physics #Boron #Boron nitride #Chemistry #Diamond and Carbon-based Materials Research #Ion #Ion-surface interactions and analysis #Layer (electronics) #Materials science #Metal and Thin Film Mechanics #Metallurgy #Nanotechnology #Nitride #Optoelectronics #Physics #Silicon #Sputtering #Thin film #Xenon #Yield (engineering) #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.1063/1.2987090
19 pages, 8 figures
arxiv created 2008/02/14 · openalex publication_date 2008/12/15 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The sputtering of hexagonal boron nitride due to low energy xenon ion bombardments occurs in various applications including fabrication of cubic boron nitride and erosion of Hall thruster channel walls. At low ion energies, accurate experimental characterization of sputtering increases in difficulty due to the low yields involved. A molecular dynamics model is employed to simulate the sputtering process and to calculate sputter yields for ion energies ranging from 10 to 350 eV. The results are compared to experimental data and a semiempirical expression developed by Bohdansky [Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B 2, 587 (1984)] is found to adequately describe the simulation data. Surface temperature effects are also investigated, and the sputter yield at 850 K is approximately twice that at 423 K.