Physics of ion sputtering

The ejection of atoms by the ion bombardment of solids is discussed in terms of linear collision cascade theory. A simple argument describes the energies of the ejecta, but elaborate models are required to obtain accurate sputtering yields and related quantities. These include transport theoretical models based on linearized Boltzmann equations, computer simulation models based on the binary collision approximation, and classical many-body dynamical models. The role of each kind of model is discussed. Several aspects of sputtering are illustrated by results from the simulation code MARLOWE. 20 references, 6 figures