Study of atomic excitations in sputtering with the use of Cu, Ag, and Au targets

Solid targets of Cu, Ag, and Au have been bombarded with 80 keV Ar+ ions, and photons emitted from sputtered atoms have been measured. From the photon intensities, relative level populations have been deduced. The results are discussed in terms of the initial and the final conditions, i.e., the electronic structures of the solids as well as of the free atoms. (orig.)