**3.3 Microstructural elements effect over the sputtering yield**

When analyzing the changes generated by irradiation with nickel ions in the hypereutectic microstructure of the Ni-22Si alloy (**Figure 2**), the following results were obtained, it was detected that the dendrites (Ni3Si-monoclinic) have a lower sputtering yield with respect to the interdendritic region.

**Figure 10(a)** and **(b)** shows the sputtered surface profile of two dendrites because of ion beam irradiation.

**Figure 10.** *Atomic force microscopy images and height profiles of the microstructural elements shown.*

The regions delimited by the vertical lines are part of the dendrite(s) seen in the image to the left of the height profile, it is clearly determined that the dendrites have a lower atomic erosion ratio with respect to the interdendritic region.
