Glow discharge sputtering of alloys observed by atomic absorption spectroscopy

Abstract

Sputtering procedures are often employed in the field of material preparation such as thin films and surface analysis. In this report the atomic absorption spectroscopic technique is applied to observe sputtering phenomena of typical binary alloys of copper-nickel and copper-silver, as occurring in a hollow cathode glow discharge. A parameter pa+ correlating the composition of the sample with the composition of the produced plasma which was measured with atomic absorption spectroscopy, is used to monitor changes in the surface composition. Measurements at a natural high surface temperature of the sample during glow discharge and at a lower temperature by cooling with liquid nitrogen were performed. AES analysis of the glow discharge sputtered surfaces of uncooled samples show that a very deep altered layer can be produced.