Editing Sputtering (section)

==Potential sputtering==
[[File:Sputterer.JPG|thumb|right|A commercial sputtering system]]
In the case of multiple charged projectile ions a particular form of electronic sputtering can take place that has been termed ''potential sputtering''.<ref name=Neidhart1995>{{cite journal| author= T. Neidhart|journal= Physical Review Letters|volume= 74|year=1995| pages= 5280–5283| pmid= 10058728|title=Potential sputtering of lithium fluoride by slow multicharged ions|doi = 10.1103/PhysRevLett.74.5280| issue= 26| bibcode=1995PhRvL..74.5280N|last2= Pichler|first2= F.|last3= Aumayr|first3= F.|last4= Winter|first4= HP.|last5= Schmid|first5= M.|last6= Varga|first6= P.|s2cid= 33930734|display-authors=etal}}</ref><ref name=Sporn1997>{{cite journal| author= M. Sporn|journal= Physical Review Letters|volume= 79|year=1997|pages= 945|doi = 10.1103/PhysRevLett.79.945|title=Potential Sputtering of Clean SiO<sub>2</sub> by Slow Highly Charged Ions|bibcode=1997PhRvL..79..945S| issue= 5|last2= Libiseller|first2= G.|last3= Neidhart|first3= T.|last4= Schmid|first4= M.|last5= Aumayr|first5= F.|last6= Winter|first6= HP.|last7= Varga|first7= P.|last8= Grether|first8= M.|last9= Niemann|first9= D.|last10= Stolterfoht|first10= N.|s2cid= 59576101|display-authors=etal}}</ref> In these cases the potential energy stored in multiply charged ions (i.e., the energy necessary to produce an ion of this charge state from its neutral atom) is liberated when the ions recombine during impact on a solid surface (formation of [[hollow atoms]]). This sputtering process is characterized by a strong dependence of the observed sputtering yields on the charge state of the impinging ion and can already take place at ion impact energies well below the physical sputtering threshold. Potential sputtering has only been observed for certain target species<ref name=Aumayr2004>{{cite journal|author1=F. Aumayr  |author2=H. P. Winter  |name-list-style=amp |journal=[[Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A]]|volume= 362 |year=2004|pages= 77–102|title=Potential sputtering|doi=10.1098/rsta.2003.1300| pmid= 15306277| issue= 1814|bibcode = 2004RSPTA.362...77A |s2cid=21891721 }}</ref> and requires a minimum potential energy.<ref name=Hayderer1999>{{cite journal| author= G. Hayderer|journal= Physical Review Letters|volume= 83 |year=1999|pages= 3948|doi = 10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.3948|title=Threshold for Potential Sputtering of LiF|bibcode=1999PhRvL..83.3948H| issue= 19|last2= Schmid|first2= M.|last3= Varga|first3= P.|last4= Winter|first4= H|last5= Aumayr|first5= F.|last6= Wirtz|first6= L.|last7= Lemell|first7= C.|last8= Burgdörfer|first8= J.|last9= Hägg|first9= L.|last10= Reinhold|first10= C.|display-authors=etal|url= http://orbilu.uni.lu/bitstream/10993/17407/1/PhysRevLett.83.3948.pdf}}</ref>