Premium
Scanning tunnelling microscope studies of sputtering
Author(s) -
Wilson Ian H.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.740200805
Subject(s) - sputtering , krypton , scanning tunneling microscope , silicon , ion , graphite , quantum tunnelling , atom (system on chip) , atomic physics , materials science , surface finish , microscope , chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , nanotechnology , optics , optoelectronics , thin film , xenon , metallurgy , physics , organic chemistry , chromatography , computer science , embedded system
Abstract Experimental results are reported that improve our understanding of processes that initiate surface roughness from a single ion bombardment event. The results are from a scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) study of the ion bombardment of silicon at implantation energies. Also reported is an atom by atom analysis of a single sputtering event—8 keV krypton on a cleaved crystal of PbS. In both cases a very low ion dose was used to minimize the overlap of cascades. Recent results on the bombardment of gold and graphite will also be reviewed. The results show that every impact leaves its mark on the surface, indicating that surface roughening processes can be uncleated at the atomic level.