Mass Redistribution Causes the Structural Richness of Ion-Irradiated Surfaces

作者：Charbel S. Madi, Eitan Anzenberg, Karl Ludwig, Michael J. Aziz · 发表于：Physical Review Letters · 年份：2011 · DOI：10.1103/physrevlett.106.066101 · 被引用次数：170 · 研究领域：Ion-surface interactions and analysis、Diamond and Carbon-based Materials Research、Laser-Plasma Interactions and Diagnostics

We show that the "sputter patterning" topographical instability is determined by the effects of ion impact-induced prompt atomic redistribution and that erosion--the consensus predominant cause--is essentially irrelevant. We use grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering to measure in situ the damping of noise or its amplification into patterns via the linear dispersion relation. A model based on the effects of impact-induced redistribution of those atoms that are not sputtered away explains both the observed ultrasmoothening at low angles from normal incidence and the instability at higher angles.