Molecular dynamic
computer simulations have been employed to investigate
the sputtering process of multilayer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)
with a layered structure arranged in the Z-direction
deposited on a silicon substrate. The sputtering process was induced
by low-energy He, Ar, and Xe projectiles. The sputtering yield volume,
mass spectra, and structural and chemical damages induced in the bombarded
systems are probed depending on the type of projectile and the thickness
of the organic overlayer. While most studies are performed with a
500 eV primary kinetic energy and an impact angle of 45°, the
effect of these two parameters on the sputtering yield is investigated
for the Ar projectile. The main goal is to elucidate the influence
of various primary beam properties on the sputtering process and structural
and chemical damages occurring in P3HT. The implications of the present
results for the chemical analysis of P3HT by secondary ion mass spectrometry
(SIMS) or secondary neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS) and low-energy
atomic projectiles are discussed. It has been found that the sputtering
yield volume is the largest for Ar and the smallest for He. The yield
does not depend on the organic overlayer thickness within the computational
uncertainty. The number of ejected atoms scaled to the sample atomic
density decreases monotonically with depth. Interestingly, the shape
of this distribution, known as the information depth distribution,
is the same for all investigated projectiles, regardless of their
penetration range, which indicates that this quantity is determined
by the properties of the sample. Additionally, the projectiles are
not deposited equally in the sample volume but are trapped at organic/substrate
and interlayer interfaces. The vertical extent of damage is directly
related to the projectile range, which is the largest for He and the
smallest for Xe. The shape of vertical damage distribution depends
in an oscillatory manner on depth. It is shown that the alkyl side
chains are mostly damaged. Our results indicate that among all tested
projectiles, Ar, followed by Xe, are the best candidates for the chemical
analysis of P3HT by SIMS/SNMS techniques.