Ripple topography on thin ZnO films by grazing and oblique incidence ion sputtering

TL;DR

This study explores how ion sputtering at different angles creates ripple patterns on ZnO thin films, analyzing their orientation, roughness, and structure using AFM, and compares results with existing models of ion-surface interactions.

Contribution

It demonstrates the formation of ripple topography on ZnO films at specific ion impact angles and provides detailed characterization and analysis of the resulting nanostructures.

Findings

Ripples align with ion beam at 80° and perpendicular at 60°

Roughness, wavelength, and correlation length vary with ion fluence

Results align with existing ion surface interaction models

Abstract

We have investigated the formation and growth of nano sized ripple topography on ZnO thin films by 10 keV O1+ bombardment at impact angles of 80{\degree} and 60{\degree}, varying the ion fluence from 5{times}10^16 to 1{\times}10^18 ions/cm2. At 800 the ripples are oriented along the ion beam direction whereas at 600 it is perpendicular to the ion beam direction. The developed ion induced structures are characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and the alignment, variation of rms roughness, wavelength and correlation length of the structures are discussed with the existing model and basic concept of ion surface interaction.