Ion sputtering on metal oxides: A source of translationally hot O(/sup 3/P/sub J/) atoms for chemical studies above 1 eV

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · Rev. Sci. Instrum.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1139983· OSTI ID:7031226

Ferrieri, R A; Chu, Y Y

A novel technique is described for generation of translationally ''hot'' oxygen atoms that can be used for chemical studies. These atoms are produced through ion sputtering on Ta/sub 2/ O/sub 5/ targets. Mass-resolved beams of noble gas ions in the kilovolt energy range are generated for this purpose using a 150-cm isotope separator. The technique can yield fluxes of oxygen atoms in the range of 10/sup 15/ --10/sup 16/ atoms cm/sup -2/ s/sup -1/ from a 40-keV argon ion beam with 15-..mu..A intensity. The sputtered atoms are predominantly neutral and reside exclusively in their /sup 3/P/sub J/ ground electronic state upon ejection. Translational energy profiles, measured for an incident ion beam angle of 30/sup 0/ from the surface normal, were found to be similar in both the forward and backward scattered directions at a 60/sup 0/ angle from the surface normal. These distributions peaked at about 7 eV, but extended beyond 20 eV. Theoretical calculations using a modified Thompson model yielded a similar distribution at this angle. This suggests that kilovolt ion sputtering on Ta/sub 2/ O/sub 5/ proceeds predominantly through a collision cascade mechanism. The energy range provided by this technique opens up a new area of hot-atom chemistry for oxygen atoms that has been relatively unexplored until now because of the lack of methods for their generation.

• Research Organization: Department of Chemistry, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
• OSTI ID: 7031226
• Journal Information: Rev. Sci. Instrum.; (United States), Journal Name: Rev. Sci. Instrum.; (United States) Vol. 59:10; ISSN RSINA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400701 -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry-- Hot-Atom Chemistry
640301 -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Beams & their Reactions
656003* -- Condensed Matter Physics-- Interactions between Beams & Condensed Matter-- (1987-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
BEAMS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMISTRY
DESIGN
ENERGY
HOT ATOM CHEMISTRY
ION BEAMS
ION SOURCES
IONS
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
KINETIC ENERGY
MOLECULAR BEAMS
OPERATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN IONS
RADIOCHEMISTRY
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPUTTERING
TANTALUM COMPOUNDS
TANTALUM OXIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS