Nickel sputtering by high-energy heavy ions

Recent experimental data on the sputtering of coarse-grained metals by high-energy heavy ions are reviewed. It is pointed out that inelastic energy losses of ions have rather insignificant effect on the sputtering yield of metals. Experimental data on the sputtering of nickel by Kr-86(+) ions are presented. The accumulation of radiation defects in the crystal lattice of nickel in the course of irradiation leads to an increase in the metal sputtering yield from the surface of grains, making it comparable with the sputtering yield from the intergranular region. The results of such experiments are important for development of the heavy ion acceleration facilities and for the high-energy heavy-ion doping of deep layers in semiconductors. (C) 2000 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".