Modeling keV particle interactions with molecular and polymeric samples

Organic surfaces are locally submitted to extreme, out of equilibrium conditions when they are bombarded by kiloelectronvolt particles (atoms, ions, clusters). The time scale of the energy transfer is from tens of femtoseconds to several picoseconds depending on the material and the average energy per atom in the energized volume is of the order of a few eV, i.e. sufficient to break bonds in the solid. As a result, atoms, molecules and their fragments are released in the gas phase, which makes sputtering/desorption methods useful for surface treatment (ion beam patterning) and analysis (mass spectrometry). The radicals created in the sample also induce branching and cross-linking reactions that can be useful for surface modification purposes. Molecular dynamics simulations have provided an invaluable help for the elucidation of keV particle-induced processes in organic overlayers and, most recently, bulk materials. In this review, I illustrate the various mechanisms at play using case studies taken from our recent investigations and from the literature. They include the Ar-induced sputtering of a large polymeric molecule on a metal substrate and a molecular sample made of polystyrene oligomers. The emphasis is placed on the understanding of the energy transfer processes in the disturbed surface region and the mechanisms of molecule desorption, fragmentation and recombination, crucial for ion beam-based analytical methods.