[en] A thorough study of the role which foreign atoms play in cone formation during sputtering of metals revealed many experimental facts. Two types of cone formation were distinguished, deposit cones and seed cones. Twenty-six combinations of metals for seed cone formation were tested. The sputtering yield variations with composition for combinations which form seed cones were measured. It was demonstrated that whisker growth becomes a common occurrence when low melting point material is sputter deposited on a hot nonsputtered high melting point electrode