Key factors of ion induced nanopatterning

TL;DR

This study investigates how projectile mass, chemical reactivity, and molecular beams influence ion-induced nanopatterning on silicon surfaces, revealing that both physical collision effects and chemical properties govern ripple formation.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the roles of projectile chemical reactivity and molecular state in controlling nanopattern formation during ion bombardment.

Findings

Ripple structures depend on collision cascades and chemical reactivity.

Molecular ions influence nanopatterning differently than atomic ions.

Chemical reactivity affects the initiation and growth of surface ripples.

Abstract

We have reported the dependence of projectile mass, chemical reactivity and effect of molecular beams on the ion induced nano structure formation, when 8 keV He1+, N1+, O1+, Ar1+ atomic ions and 16 keV N21+ and O21+ molecular ions are bombarded on the Si(100) surface at an incidence angle of 60^{\circ}. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurement shows that the initiation and growth of ripple structures are determined not only by the collision cascades but also by the chemical reactivity and molecular state of the projectiles. This experimental investigation explores the necessary requirements for ion induced controlled nanopatterning.