Sticking coefficient is the term used in
surface physics to describe the
ratio of the number of
adsorbate atoms (or
molecules) that
adsorb, or "stick", to a
surface to the total number of atoms that impinge upon that surface during the same period of
time. Sometimes the symbol
Sc is used to denote this
coefficient, and its value is between 1 (all impinging atoms stick) and 0 (no atoms stick). The coefficient is a function of surface
temperature, surface coverage (θ) and
structural details as well as the
kinetic energy of the impinging particles.