Studies of Sputtering in a Glow Discharge for Spectrochemical Analysis

Abstract

Sputtering rates of some metals and alloys have been measured In a glow discharge with the configuration proposed by Grimm. A linear relationship between the mass sputtered in unit time per unit of current strength and the operating voltage was established for both metals and alloys. Some binary alloys are sputtered at a rate that agrees with the sputtering rates of the components and the composition of the alloy. The results are useful for describing various spectrochemical properties and prospects of the glow discharge, but do not pretend to contribute significantly to the fundamental aspects of sputtering. This is due to secondary effects that occur under the conditions of the experiments. The results allow a tentative evaluation of the possibilities of the glow discharge for thin-layer analysis using emission spectrometry. © 1972, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.