Hydorgen sputtering of carbon thin films deposited on platinum

Carbon has been suggested as a suitable low Z element for the lining of the first walls of controlled thermonuclear reactors in order to reduce radiative plasma losses due to sputtering. In this paper the measurement of sputtering of carbon thin films by protons in the energy range 0.6-10.0 keV, is described. H2+ or H3+ ions were used as bombarding ions to obtain equivalent H+ sputtering yields at energies below that at which the ion source provides sufficient proton current. The sputter yield was found to range from 7x10-3-1.5x10-2 atoms/proton with a broad maximum in the 2.0 keV region with the carbon film kept near ambient temperature. (B.D.)