Experimental validation of TRIDYN self-sputtering simulations

In the case of high-fluence implantations, the approximation that every new incoming particle interacts with a pristine substrate material no longer holds. Dynamical changes to the substrate can induce different phenomena, one of which is self-sputtering. Self-sputtering occurs when incoming ions remove previously implanted ions from the implantation substrate. This phenomenon is significant in target production for nuclear structure studies and medical radionuclide separation, where self-sputtering limits can be reached during isotope implantation. Self-sputtering can be modeled using TRIDYN simulations in order to guide implantations. This work explores the ability of TRIDYN to give order-of-magnitude estimates for the onset of self-sputtering for these nuclear physics applications. This is performed through the implantation of Yb in Zn and Al, relevant to both fundamental and medical nuclear physics research. Our findings indicate that TRIDYN predicts general dependencies reasonably well. However, it is important to carefully consider input parameters and validity of the TRIDYN simulations.