Ion bombardment induced emission of sorbed gas from glass surfaces

Inert gas ions were pumped into glass surfaces and their release by bombardment with a second inert gas ion species observed. The rates of release and percentage of sorbed gas recoverable were observed for all combinations of helium, neon, argon, krypton and xenon as the sorbed or releasing gas and effective self sputtering coefficients for each gas were deduced. These latter were observed to be considerably greater than unity, which leads, with other information, to the conclusion that gas release is effected by energy transfer to the trapped gas from the bombarding ion rather than by sputtering of the glass. The mechanism of gas trapping is investigated in terms of radiation damage and ion penetration concepts.