Electronic sputtering of carbon allotropes

Abstract

Electronic sputtering of different allotropes of carbon (diamond, graphite, fullerene, a-C and a-C:H) are studied under 200 MeV Au15+ ion irradiation. On-line elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) and catcher technique is employed to measure the sputtering yield of carbon from these allotropes. Erosion behavior is distinctly different in different allotropes as observed by ERDA. Hardest known material diamond does not show any sputtering within the detection limit of the experimental set up, whereas the soft polymerlike a-C:H shows highest sputtering yield (5.8 x 10(5) atoms/ion). Yields in case of other allotropes are 1 x 10(3) atoms/ion (graphite), 3 x 10(4) atoms/ion (fullerene), 1.8 x 10(4) atoms/ion (a-C), respectively. This significant variation of electronic sputtering yield of carbon in different allotropes is discussed from the viewpoint of influence of structure on ion-solid interaction. Structures of the samples are examined by Raman spectroscopy. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.