Alloy surface segregation effect on the angular distribution of Ni–Fe sputtered particles

This paper reports the results of experimental investigation into the angular distribution of sputtered particles in ion beam sputtering. A Ni–Fe alloy target that includes many cones wherein the composition is several percent Fe‐richer than in the matrix, is bombarded by Ar⁺ ions at 1 keV at various ion incident angles. As a result of this experiment, it is found that the characteristics of the Ni fraction for the collector angle become asymmetric and the maximum Ni fraction in the film approaches the Ni fraction of the alloy target as the ion incident angle increases. From a simple model analysis, these tendencies are found to be explained by the interaction between the oblique ion incidence and the surface topography including segregation.