Direct Experimental Observation of a New Mechanism for Sputtering of Solids by a Large Polyatomic Projectile: Velocity-Correlated Cluster Emission

作者：Armon E^*; Bekkerman A; Cohen Y; Bernstein J; Tsipinyuk B; Kolodney E

来源：Physical Review Letters, 2014, 113(2): 027604.

DOI：10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.027604

We have measured kinetic energy distributions of TanCn+ (n = 1-10) and Ag-n(+) (n = 1-9) cluster ions sputtered off Ta and Ag targets, following impact of C-60(-) at 14 keV kinetic energy. A gradual increase of the most probable kinetic energies with increased size of the emitted cluster was observed (nearly the same velocity for all n values). This behavior is in sharp contrast to that reported for cluster emission induced by the impact of a monoatomic projectile. Our observation is in good agreement with a mechanism based on the new concept of a superhot moving precursor as the source of the emitted clusters.

• 出版日期2014-7-11