The temperature dependence of the sputtering yield and velocity distribution of sputtered neutral Ca and Cr atoms has been studied by Doppler shift laser fluorescence spectroscopy (DSLFS) for 15‐keV‐Ar+ion bombardment.These investigations have been performed in the search for thermal spike effects and radiation‐enhanced sublimation in sputtering at elevated temperatures. Ca targets have been studied up to about 270 °C and Cr targets up to 750 °C. The shapes of the velocity distributions do not change in the respective temperature ranges for both target materials. Furthermore, the absolute yield of sputtered neutral ground state atoms does not increase with temperature.This indicates that no radiation‐enhanced thermal contribution is of relevant importance. Moreover, we can explain the velocity distributions in both cases by the linear cascade theory of sputtering. The thermal contribution due to thermal evaporation increases drastically above 230 °C for Ca and 550 °C for Cr. In both cases the corresponding velocity distribution can be fitted by a Boltzmann distribution.