Ion Induced Alteration at Lead-Tin and Lead-Tin-Silver Alloy Surfaces Investigated by AES and SIMS

Abstract

The surface compositions of Pb-Sn and Pb-Sn-Ag alloys were investigated by means of AES and SIMS measurements. The AES spectral intensities obtained under the simultaneous Ar ion sputtering during the analysis showed that the surface lead concentration depleted drastically, whereas it recovered quickly once the Ar ion bombardment was discontinued. The tin concentration, on the other hand, showed a completely opposite tendency to lead. It is shown that this phenomenon can be interpreted as the results of preferential sputtering and diffusion of the lead atoms. The results are also discussed with the Dynamic-SIMS data, which is proved to be consistent with those obtained by the AES measurement.