Evolution of energy and angular distributions of sputtered atoms with variation of atomic number of single crystal target

TL;DR

This study uses molecular dynamics simulations to analyze how the energy and angular distributions of sputtered atoms from single crystal surfaces change with atomic number, revealing increased blocking effects and distribution shifts.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the evolution of sputtered atom distributions with atomic number, focusing on focused and overfocused atoms and their angular shifts.

Findings

Maxima of overfocused atoms are more sensitive to atomic number increase at low energies.

Maxima of focused and overfocused atoms shift due to stronger blocking effects with higher atomic number.

Energy and angular distributions of sputtered atoms evolve significantly with atomic number.

Abstract

Ejection of atoms from (001) surfaces of a number of real and model single crystals is studied by molecular dynamics computer simulation. Evolution of energy distributions of sputtered atoms with polar and azimuthal angle resolution with increase of atomic number of the target is investigated. For low energies the maximum of overfocused atoms is more sensitive to the increase of atomic number of the target than the maximum of focused atoms. Evolution of the polar angular distributions of sputtered atoms with energy and azimuthal angle resolution with increase of atomic number of the target is also studied. Maxima of focused and overfocused atoms are very sensitive to the increase of atomic number of the target. The observed maxima shifts are due to stronger blocking effect with increase of atomic number of the target. Keywords: single crystal sputtering, ejection of atoms from a surface, energy distribution of sputtered atoms, polar angular distribution, focused atoms, overfocused atoms, molecular dynamics simulation method.