Determination degree of sputtered particle ionization from their velocity

Method of simultaneous measurement of energy distribution of secondary ions and atoms under similar conditions of ion bombardment has been realized. The method enables to obtain the dependence of ionization degree of sputtered particles β+ on their velocity v. For this purpose the sputtered atoms are ionized by the electron impact. Such method is not accompanied by energy transfer from electron to atom. The knowledge of j electron current density, σ cross section and characteristic l-size of ionization region enables to determine rather presisely the number of atoms, sputtered from the surface to the given solid angle