A study of the neutral species rf sputtered from oxide targets

The nature of the neutral species rf sputtered from several oxide targets has been studied using a technique in which the sputtered particles are ionized in the glow discharge and are then detected with a quadrupole mass filter. The extent to which the species MO+ are observed relative to the species M+ during the rf sputtering of an oxide target MxOy is studied as a function of M-O bond energy, rf power and discharge gas pressure. The results suggest that in certain cases the intensity of sputtered neutral molecules may exceed that of sputtered neutral atoms. © 1974 IOP Publishing Ltd.