SEM investigations of iron surface ion erosion as a function of specimen temperature and incidence angle

Vasiliu, F.; Teodorescu, I.; Glodeanu, F.

doi:10.1007/bf00543683

Cited by 44 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The ripple morphology of ion bombarded surfaces has been initially discovered in the mid 1970's [4][5][6]. Since then, a number of research groups have provided detailed quantitative results regarding the ripple characteristics and dynamics of ripple formation.…”

Section: A Ripple Formationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Morphology of ion-sputtered surfaces

Makeev

Cuerno

Barabási

2002

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B:

486

527

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We derive a stochastic nonlinear continuum theory to describe the morphological evolution of amorphous surfaces eroded by ion bombardment. Starting from Sigmund's theory of sputter erosion, we calculate the coefficients appearing in the continuum equation in terms of the physical parameters characterizing the sputtering process. We analyze the morphological features predicted by the continuum theory, comparing them with the experimentally reported morphologies. We show that for short time scales, where the effect of nonlinear terms is negligible, the continuum theory predicts ripple formation. We demonstrate that in addition to relaxation by thermal surface diffusion, the sputtering process can also contribute to the smoothing mechanisms shaping the surface morphology. We explicitly calculate an effective surface diffusion constant characterizing this smoothing effect, and show that it is responsible for the low temperature ripple formation observed in various experiments. At long time scales the nonlinear terms dominate the evolution of the surface morphology. The nonlinear terms lead to the stabilization of the ripple wavelength and we show that, depending on the experimental parameters such as angle of incidence and ion energy, different morphologies can be observed: asymptotically, sputter eroded surfaces could undergo kinetic roughening, or can display novel ordered structures with rotated ripples. Finally, we discuss in detail the existing experimental support for the proposed theory, and uncover novel features of the surface morphology and evolution, that could be directly tested experimentally.

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Section: A Ripple Formationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We note that if ν x = ν y and λ x = λ y , Eq. (6) reduces to the KPZ equation (5). The AKPZ equation has different scaling properties depending on the signs of the coefficients λ x and λ y .…”

Section: Anisotropic Kpz Equationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphology of ion-sputtered surfaces

Makeev

Cuerno

Barabási

2002

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B:

486

527

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“…This once regarded as undesired side effect has now been widely developed and used at large for surface cleaning and etching, thin film deposition, surface and surface layer analysis, and has long been a leading candidate for surface patterning. While ripple formation on sputtering-eroded surfaces has been observed in the 1970s [2], a self-organization process using low energy ion sputtering of semiconductor surface at normal beam incidence angle has been found recently to be capable of producing highly uniform nanoscale islands [3]. This sputtering generated surface modification is believed to be a potential alternative to techniques like Stranski-Krastanov (SK) growth and electron beam lithography that could eventually create structures in the nanometer regime exhibiting quantum properties [4,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surface Morphology Evolution of GaAs by Low Energy Ion Sputtering

et al. 2007

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Low energy Ar+ion sputtering, typically below 1,200 eV, of GaAs at normal beam incident angle is investigated. Surface morphology development with respect to varying energy is analyzed and discussed. Dot-like patterns in the nanometer scale are obtained above 600 eV. As the energy approaches upper eV range regular dots have evolved. The energy dependent dot evolution is evaluated based on solutions of the isotropic Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation. The results are in agreement with the theoretical model which describes a power law dependency of the characteristic wavelength on ion energy in the ion-induced diffusion regime.

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“…Ion beam sputtering has long been a leading candidate for surface patterning. While ripple formation on sputter eroded surfaces has been observed already in the 70s [5], in the last decade much work has been devoted to understand both the experimental and theoretical aspects of this fascinating self-organized phenomena. However, most experiments have focused on off-normal incidence, that, by breaking the symmetry along the surface, leads to anisotropic structures, such as ripples.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantum dot and hole formation in sputter erosion

Kahng

Jeong

Barabási

2001

Applied Physics Letters

131

113

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Recently it was experimentally demonstrated that sputtering under normal incidence leads to the formation of spatially ordered uniform nanoscale islands or holes. Here we show that these nanostructures have inherently nonlinear origin, first appearing when the nonlinear terms start to dominate the surface dynamics. Depending on the sign of the nonlinear terms, determined by the shape of the collision cascade, the surface can develop regular islands or holes with identical dynamical features, and while the size of these nanostructures is independent of flux and temperature, it can be modified by tuning the ion energy.PACS numbers:68.55. -a,68.65.+g,05.45.-a The fabrication and physical properties of quantum dots (QDs) are topics of high current interest due to their applications in optical devices and as potential construction blocks of novel computer architectures [1]. However, despite the high interest in the subject, the methods available for the fabrication of such dots are rather limited. Lithographic techniques, while undergoing rapid improvements in resolution [2], still cannot produce small and dense enough dots necessary for device applications. While much research has focused on self-assembled QD formation [3], that generates dots through the unique combination of strain and growth kinetics, these techniques offered relatively uniform islands only for a few material combinations and still have to find their way into devices. Consequently, there is continued high demand for alternative methods that would allow low cost and efficient mass fabrication of QDs. In the light of these technological driving forces, the recent demonstration that sputter erosion can lead to uniform nanoscale islands, that exhibit quantum confinement, will undoubtly capture the interest of the scientific community [4]. Ion beam sputtering has long been a leading candidate for surface patterning. While ripple formation on sputter eroded surfaces has been observed already in the 70s [5], in the last decade much work has been devoted to understand both the experimental and theoretical aspects of this fascinating self-organized phenomena. However, most experiments have focused on off-normal incidence, that, by breaking the symmetry along the surface, leads to anisotropic structures, such as ripples. While theoretically it was expected that under normal incidence the ripples should be replaced by some periodic cellular structures, such surface features have not been observed experimentally. Recently, two groups have obtained simultaneous advances in this direction. Facsko et al., investigating low-energy normal incident Ar + sputtering of GaSb (100) surfaces [4], observed that as erosion proceeds, nanoscale islands appear on the surface, that are remarkably well ordered, and have a uniform size distribution. On the other hand, recent experiments of Ar + sputtering of Cu(110), and Ne + sputtering of Ag (001) under normal incidence lead to relatively uniform depressions or holes [6]. These experiments, while represent significant tech...

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SEM investigations of iron surface ion erosion as a function of specimen temperature and incidence angle

Cited by 44 publications

References 18 publications

Morphology of ion-sputtered surfaces

Morphology of ion-sputtered surfaces

Surface Morphology Evolution of GaAs by Low Energy Ion Sputtering

Quantum dot and hole formation in sputter erosion

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