An offline prediction of nanoscale ripples propagation under ion irradiation: A correlation between ripples velocity and surface erosion rate

Coherent Atomic-Scale Ripples on Metallic Glasses Patterned by Low-Energy Ion Irradiation for Large-Area Surface Structuring

“…It is interesting that, from the very initial stage of the patterning with the emergence of random dots to the development of near-perfect ripple order, both the wavelength and amplitude are retained (see Figures and ). Our observation that the ripples maintain the atomic-scale amplitude throughout the pattern formation is prominent in comparison to previous studies where coarsening of the ripples was generally observed. − ,− ,− Therefore, we stress that our results indicate not only the stabilization of the ripples at prolonged exposure but more importantly their height is stable on glass surfaces from the very beginning of the structuring process. During irradiation, the only change is the ordering of the ripples, indicating a controllable and atomically precise surface patterning.…”

“…According to the widely accepted linear theory concerning ion-irradiation-induced surface rippling developed by Bradley and Harper (BH), it is the balance between curvature-dependent sputtering that roughens the surface and diffusion that smoothens the surface, leading to the buildup of a regular ripple pattern with a characteristic wavelength. In other generalized theories, nonlinear terms and additional smoothing mechanisms were included. ,,− In view of the numerous previous observations involving various materials, the produced ripple patterns have an amplitude of several nanometers or more, and it is rather unlikely that atomic-scale structuring can be achieved because the amplitude will always grow after the initial appearance of the pattern. − ,− ,− …”

Investigating ripple pattern formation and damage profiles in Si and Ge induced by 100 keV Ar+ ion beam: a comparative study

“…However, with the availability of high-resolution tools such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) [3] and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), it is possible to visualize these features. Formation of dots, ripples, and pits have been well studied using IBS [4][5][6][7][8][9]. In the last few decades, numerous efforts have been made to understand IBS through simulations [10] as well as experimental results [11,12].…”

“…However, there are some inconsistencies and replicability issues between the studies, which might mean that other experimental parameters might be important for the formation of these nanostructures. Computational studies have provided relevance and connections between experiments and theoretical modelling [4,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. Basic models to explain IBS were initially given by Thompson et al [25] and Sigmund et al [26], based on the radiation damage in bulk materials.…”