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For a variety of thin film applications (e.g. sputtering) it is essential to determine the sputtering yield as well as the angular distribution of sputtered atoms. Therefore, in addition to model calculations (TRIM, TRIDYN etc.) an experimental determination of the related quantities is highly demanded. For this purpose we propose a novel and rather simple method - the so-called sputtering-propelled instrument (SPIN). In principal, the SPIN is a kind of wind wheel where the rotor blades are plane targets of the sputtering material. The wheel, which is stack nearly without friction and exposed to a vertical ion beam, starts to rotate due to momentum transfer by the released particles, i.e. sputtered target atoms and recoiled ions. By knowing the moment of inertia and by measuring the accelerated rotation, the propelling force can be determined experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The idea to use microscopic test particles as electrostatic and thermal probes in complex plasmas has been consequently developed during the last years1–3. Due to the force balance of the particles, however, it is very difficult to change their position in the plasma sheath without changing the external and internal plasma parameters. Recently, experiments have been performed where the confined particles are affected by additional centrifugal force4 or by laser radiation5. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]