Modeling low energy sputtering of hexagonal boron nitride by xenon ions

TL;DR

This study uses molecular dynamics simulations to analyze low energy xenon ion sputtering of hexagonal boron nitride, comparing results with experimental data and exploring temperature effects on sputter yields.

Contribution

It introduces a molecular dynamics model for low energy sputtering of h-BN and compares it with experimental data and semi-empirical models, including temperature effects.

Findings

Simulation results agree with experimental data.

Sputter yield doubles at higher temperature (850 K vs 423 K).

Semi-empirical model by Bohdansky fits the simulation data well.

Abstract

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 sputter yields 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 eV to 350 eV. The results are compared to experimental data and a semi-empirical expression developed by Bohdansky 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.