We study the time evolution of the surface composition and the atomic sputter yields when a multicomponent alloy is bombarded with a broad ion beam. For a binary or a ternary alloy, the sputter yields approach steady-state values exponentially with time if the sputter yield of each atomic species is proportional to its surface concentration. There may be two distinct stable steady-state solutions to the equations of motion for the sputtering of a binary alloy if the sputter yield of one of the atomic species is amplified. In the case of a ternary alloy, we give a hypothetical example that satisfies the minimal physical requirements and that yields long-lived oscillations in the sputter yields of the three atomic species.

1.
V. B.
Shenoy
,
W. L.
Chan
, and
E.
Chason
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
98
,
256101
(
2007
).
2.
M. S.
Bharathi
,
H.
Ramanarayan
, and
Y. W.
Zhang
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
99
,
083103
(
2011
).
3.
F. C.
Motta
,
P. D.
Shipman
, and
R. M.
Bradley
,
J. Phys. D
45
,
122001
(
2012
).
4.
S.
Facsko
,
T.
Dekorsy
,
C.
Koerdt
,
C.
Trappe
,
H.
Kurz
,
A.
Vogt
, and
H. L.
Hartnagel
,
Science
285
,
1551
(
1999
).
5.
R. M.
Bradley
and
P. D.
Shipman
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
105
,
145501
(
2010
).
6.
P. D.
Shipman
and
R. M.
Bradley
,
Phys. Rev. B
84
,
085420
(
2011
).
7.
R. M.
Bradley
and
P. D.
Shipman
,
Appl. Surf. Sci.
258
,
4161
(
2012
).
8.
See, for example,
S.
Hofmann
,
Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London, Ser. A
362
,
55
(
2004
).
9.
G.
Carter
and
V.
Vishnyakov
,
Phys. Rev. B
54
,
17647
(
1996
).
10.
M.
Moseler
,
P.
Gumbsch
,
C.
Casiraghi
,
A. C.
Ferrari
, and
J.
Robertson
,
Science
309
,
1545
(
2005
).
11.
B.
Davidovitch
,
M. J.
Aziz
, and
M. P.
Brenner
,
Phys. Rev. B
76
,
205420
(
2007
).
12.
C. S.
Madi
,
E.
Anzenberg
,
K. F.
Ludwig
, Jr.
, and
M. J.
Aziz
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
106
,
066101
(
2011
).
13.
S. A.
Norris
,
J.
Samela
,
L.
Bukonte
,
M.
Backman
,
F.
Djurabekova
,
K.
Nordlund
,
C. S.
Madi
,
M. P.
Brenner
, and
M. J.
Aziz
,
Nature Commun.
2
,
276
(
2011
).
14.
M.
Castro
and
R.
Cuerno
,
Appl. Surf. Sci.
258
,
4171
(
2012
).
15.
S. A.
Norris
,
Phys. Rev. B
85
,
155325
(
2012
).
16.
S. A.
Norris
,
Phys. Rev. B
86
,
235405
(
2012
).
17.
M.
Castro
,
R.
Gago
,
L.
Vázquez
,
J.
Muñoz-García
, and
R.
Cuerno
,
Phys. Rev. B
86
,
214107
(
2012
).
18.
R. M.
Bradley
and
J. M. E.
Harper
,
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
6
,
2390
(
1988
).
19.
V.
Tuboltsev
,
P.
Jalkanen
,
M.
Kolodyazhnaya
, and
J.
Räisänen
,
Phys. Rev. B
72
,
205434
(
2005
).
20.
M. Z.
Hossain
,
J. B.
Freund
, and
H. T.
Johnson
,
J. Appl. Phys.
103
,
073508
(
2008
).
21.
For a review, see
C.
Nender
,
I. V.
Katardjiev
,
J. P.
Biersack
,
S.
Berg
, and
A. M.
Barklund
,
Radiat. Eff. Defects Solids
130–131
,
281
(
1994
).
22.
L. B.
Jonsson
,
C.
Hedlund
,
I. V.
Katardjiev
, and
S.
Berg
,
Thin Solid Films
348
,
227
(
1999
).
You do not currently have access to this content.