sputtering
n.— «Metal ion creation in the semiconductor industry relies on a technique called sputtering. Traditional sputtering relies on a gas such as argon being heated to plasma and then contained by a magnetic field between a layer of metal and a target circuit. The plasma knocks metal ions off the metal source, creating a current of metal ions which flows towards the circuit, depositing metal on the disk.» —“New Self-Sustaining Ion Generator May Yield Super Circuits, Ion Engines” by Jason Mick DailyTech Feb. 2, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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