Hyperspectral imaging and TRI3DYN simulation study of physical sputtering from a fuzzy surface

The influence of a fuzzy surface on the physical sputtering of Mo in He plasmas has been studied with hyperspectral imaging (HSI) measurements and simulations that couple the TRI3DYN code with an impurity transport code. The 2D profiles of the Mo I line emission intensity from HSI images reveal that the sputtering yield, Y, is reduced to ∼40 % of the smooth-surface value due to the presence of a fuzz layer, while the angular distribution of the sputtered Mo atoms might not change significantly. The simulations reproduce the Y reduction successfully, but indicate that fuzz causes an increase in the small-angle distribution of sputtered atoms. However, the increase is too small to produce an observable change in the Mo I emission profiles. A simple analytical model that assumes a single collision mean free path for a fuzz layer and considers only the primary sputtering events qualitatively reproduces the Y reduction and the small-angle distribution enhancement, explaining the geometrical effect of fuzz on physical sputtering.