The estimation of sputtering yields for SiC and Si

Sputtering yields of crystalline silicon carbide and silicon have been determined experimentally for bombardment by Ne+, Ar+ and Xe+ ions in the energy range between 0.5 and 5 keV under 60degrees sputtering with respect to the surface normal. Sputter crater measurements on SiC and Si and Auger depth profiles of SiC on Si have been carried out in order to determine the sputtering yields. The measurements are compared with Monte Carlo simulations which have been computed by the simulation static codes, TRIM and TRIRS and by the dynamic codes DYTRIRS and T-DYN as well as with the sputter theory. The simulation results depend strongly on the input parameters which are not well known especially for SiC. The TRIM simulation fits the experimental results very well and the differences between the results of the simulation programs are sometimes greater than their difference from experimentally measured sputtering yields. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.