Wavelength tunability of ion-bombardment-induced ripples on sapphire
- Department of Physics, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405 (United States)
A study of ripple formation on sapphire surfaces by 300-2000 eV Ar{sup +} ion bombardment is presented. Surface characterization by in-situ synchrotron grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering and ex-situ atomic force microscopy is performed in order to study the wavelength of ripples formed on sapphire (0001) surfaces. We find that the wavelength can be varied over a remarkably wide range--nearly two orders of magnitude--by changing the ion incidence angle. Within the linear theory regime, the ion induced viscous flow smoothing mechanism explains the general trends of the ripple wavelength at low temperature and incidence angles larger than 30 deg. . In this model, relaxation is confined to a few nm thick damaged surface layer. The behavior at high temperature suggests relaxation by surface diffusion. However, strong smoothing is inferred from the observed ripple wavelength near normal incidence, which is not consistent with either surface diffusion or viscous flow relaxation.
- OSTI ID:
- 20957814
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 75, Issue 15; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.75.155416; (c) 2007 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1098-0121
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ARGON IONS
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
DIFFUSION
EV RANGE
ION BEAMS
LAYERS
PLASTICITY
RELAXATION
SAPPHIRE
SMALL ANGLE SCATTERING
SURFACES
SYNCHROTRONS
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
VISCOUS FLOW
WAVELENGTHS
X RADIATION
X-RAY DIFFRACTION