C60 sputtering of organics: A study using TOF-SIMS, XPS and nanoindentation

Sputtering of organic materials using a C60 primary ion beam has been demonstrated to produce significantly less accumulated damage compared to sputtering with monatomic and atomic-cluster ion beams. However, much about the dynamics of C60 sputtering remains to be understood. We introduce data regarding the dynamics of C60 sputtering by evaluating TOF-SIMS depth profiles of bulk poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Bulk PMMA provides an ideal test matrix with which to probe C60 sputter dynamics because there is a region of steady-state secondary ion yield followed by irreversible signal degradation. C60 sputtering of PMMA is evaluated as a function of incident ion kinetic energy using 10 keV C60+, 20 keV C60+ and 40 keV C60++ primary ions. Changes in PMMA chemistry, carbon accumulation and graphitization, and topography as a function of total C60 ion dose at each accelerating potential is addressed.