Sputtering/Etching Threshold Energies

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Sputtering/Etching Threshold Energies by Incident Energetic Electron & Ion Beams

Table 4384. Sputtering (etching) threshold energies by incident energetic electron and ion beams.

Element	Sputtering threshold energies by incident electrons [keV]
Al	65 [1]; 180 [2]
Au	407 [1]; 1320 [2]
C	68 [1]
C: Graphite	140 [2]
C: Diamond	330 [2]
Co	171 [1]
Cr	142 [1]
Cu	147 [1]; 420 [2]
Fe	158 [1]
Ag	202 [1]
Ge	181 [1]
Li	8.7 [1]
Mo	366 [1]
Mn	109 [1]
Nb	385 [1]
Ni	172 [1]
Pt	560 [1]
Si	91 [1]
Sr	104 [1]
Ta	673 [1]
Ti	154 [1]
V	175 [1]
W	728 [1]
Zn	63 [1]
Zr	328 [1]

Figure 4384 shows the threshold energy for damage displacement for onset of electron sputtering in solid elements. Any incident electron beams with higher voltages than the threshold voltage can cause atomic sputtering.

Threshold energy for damage displacement for onset of electron sputtering in solid elements

Figure 4384. Threshold energy for damage displacement for onset of electron sputtering in solid elements [3].

[1] R. F. Egerton, R. McLeod, F.Wang, M.Mala, Basic questions related to electron-induced sputtering in the TEM, Ultramicroscopy 110 (2010) 991–997.
[2] Hobbs, L. W., 1987. Radiation effects in analysis by TEM. In: Hren, J. J., Goldstein, J. I., Joy, D. C. (Eds.), Introduction to Analytical Electron Microscopy, Plenum Press, New York, pp. 399–445.
[3] R.F. Egerton, P. Li, and M. Malac, Radiation damage in the TEM and SEM, Micron 35 (2004) 399–409.

Practical Electron Microscopy and Database

An Online Book, Second Edition by Dr. Yougui Liao (2006)

Sputtering/Etching Threshold Energies by Incident Energetic Electron & Ion Beams