Partnering analytic models and dynamic secondary ion mass spectrometry simulations to interpret depth profiles due to kiloelectronvolt cluster bombardment.

The analytical steady-state statistical sputtering model (SS-SSM) is utilized to interpret molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of depth profiling of Ag solids with keV cluster beams of C(60) and Au(3) under different incident energy and angle conditions. Specifically, the results of the MD simulations provide the input to the SS-SSM and the result is a depth profile of a delta layer. It has been found that the rms roughness of each system correlates with the total displacement yield, a new quantity introduced in this study that follows naturally from the SS-SSM. The results indicate that the best depth profiles occur when the displacement yield is low and the sputtering yield is high. Moreover, it is determined that the expected value of the delta layer position as calculated from a depth profile rather than the peak position in the depth profile is the best indicator of the actual delta layer position.