EFFECT OF THE INCIDENCE GEOMETRY ON THE ION-INDUCED NI-SILICIDES SURFACE COMPOSITIONAL MODIFICATIONS

Ni-silicides surface and subsurface altered layer induced by 1-14 keV Ar+ bombardment with incidence angle between O-degrees and 78-degrees has been studied by Auger electron spectroscopy. Elemental standard method was used for quantification, and low energy sputter-profiles provided in-depth analysis of the high energy processed surfaces. Different incidence of the ion beam results in a weak but detectable change in the surface composition, and also in a different dependence of the surface composition on the ion energy. The subsurface Si depletion is larger as the ion beam approaches the normal incidence, while the altered layer thickness is independent of the impact geometry.