a bombardment of a source material by positive ions of an inert gas in order to erode the source surface, the eroded material travelling through a low-pressure gas and depositing on any object in its path, ejection of atoms from a solid target surface due to impact with impinging ions from a plasma, the non-thermal removal of atoms from a surface under energetic ion bombardment. Sputtering yields are strongly dependent on the ion and its energy but rise steadily from thresholds at a few eV to several atoms per ion in th keV range. The ejected atoms deposit on any adjacent surfaces. In plasma sputtering the ions come directly from a low-pressure gas discharge. Sputtering is used for thin film deposition (eg metallization layers in semiconductor technology), for surface (discharge) cleaning and for surface analysis (eg secondary ion mass spectometry). Different types of plasma source can be used, eg DC sputtering, RF sputtering, magnetron sputtering. Sputtering is particularly useful for making films from refractory materials., katoodi materjali purunemine ja tolmustumine gaaslahenduse puhul positiivsete ioonide mõjul. Gaaslahendusseadistes on katoodi pihustumine kahjulik nähtus. Katoodi pihustumist rakendatakse õhukeste metallikihtide kandmiseks mitmesugustele materjalidele (klaasile, riidele, paberile, metallile vms.), pindade puhastamiseks ja aine struktuuri uurimiseks (ioonsöövitus).