AUGER AND X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON-SPECTROSCOPY STUDIES OF PREFERENTIAL SPUTTERING IN Y2O3-DOPED ZRO2 FILMS

Auger and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies have been used to investigate preferential sputtering effects in stabilized cubic 8 mole ??? Y2O3-doped ZrO2 films. The results show that oxygen is preferentially removed by Ar+ ion bombardment while the relative Y to Zr concentrations remain essentially constant. At 900 eV, the ratio of the oxygen to zirconium sputtering yields was found to be ≈90% of the value observed at 2000 eV. The XPS spectra showed a decrease in the binding energy of the metal 3d peaks with an associated peak broadening toward lower energies. © 1979.