X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to show that Ar+ preferentially sputters O from the surface to Ta2O5. In addition, x-ray photoelectron, Auger electron, ion scattering, and secondary ion mass spectroscopies were used to show that more reduction of Ta2O5 is caused by 0.5 keV Ar+ than by 5 keV Ar+. This dependence of preferred sputtering upon energy is attributed to changes in the sputtering mechanisms.
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Holloway et al. (1979) studied this question.