Viscoelastic Relaxation and Sputter-depth Profiling of Amorphous Materials

Abstract

The effects of viscoelastic relaxation processes on apparent depth shifts and broadening of marker species during sputter-depth profiling of composition in amorphous substrates is evaluated by approximate analysis of the composition balance equations developed for such systems. It is shown that for materials where ion bombardment reduces viscosity the substrates can be regarded as purely elastic, but for systems where radiation increases viscosity small depth shifts and a reduction in broadening can occur for shallow markers.