What happens when you bombard a metal alloy with ions? This research investigates **preferential sputtering** in gold-nickel and gold-copper alloys, a phenomenon where one element is removed from the surface more readily than the other. Understanding this process is crucial for controlling the composition and properties of alloy surfaces. Using binary alloys containing 6–26 at.% nickel and 6–57 at.% copper, the samples were prepared *in situ* to avoid surface oxide contamination. The alloys were then subjected to ion sputtering with an energy of 1 keV. The surface composition was analyzed to determine the extent of **preferential sputtering**. Results show that for Ni/Au, gold is preferentially sputtered, leading to a nickel-enriched surface. The altered layer's thickness is estimated to be 50–75 Å. In contrast, Cu/Au alloys exhibit very little **preferential sputtering**. These findings contribute to our understanding of surface modification techniques and their application in materials science.
This article is difficult to contextualize due to a lack of journal categories. However, given that the article was published in the Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, it can be inferred that the paper's topic aligns with the journal's focus on materials science and thin-film technology. The study of ultrathin films of rhenium contributes to the fundamental understanding of nanoscale materials.