Influence des processus d'échange électronique atome-métal sur la production des ions secondaires lents

Abstract

The production of low energy secondary ions of transition elements sputtered from pure samples or dilute alloys is studied in relation with the electronic exchange interaction between the exciting atom and the metallic surface. The interpretation of the energy distribution rests upon destruction mechanisms for auto-ionizing states with a hole on the d shell. It is shown that the effect depends specifically on the type of auto-ionizing configurations involved : for instance, the effect is more important in copper (auto-ionizing configurations 3dv-1 nln' 1') than in nickel (auto-ionizing configurations 3dv-2 n1n' 1' n" 1"). A more comprehensive view of ionization pro-