Ion Scattering and Deposition: The Role of Energetic Particles in Thin Film Growth.
Abstract
We have used Ultra High Vacuum Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (UHV-STM) to investigate the evolution of morphology on metal surfaces irradiated with energetic ion beams. Time-lapse images were used to observe the stability and decay of isolated islands and pits subsequent to the irradiation. We developed theoretical analytic models and Monte Carlo simulations to describe island decay. Key results are: (1) monolayer height islands and pits are formed in the early stages of energetic Ar irradiation of Au(111); (2) under certain experimental conditions islands decay over time; (3) analytic models of island decay based on the Gibbs-Thomson effect predict different decay rates and laws depending on the relative magnitudes of parameters that describe different macroscopic decay processes; (4) comparisons of the analytic model to simulations of island decay give insights into how these macroscopic decay parameters are determined by microscopic surface processes. These studies are part of a larger effort to probe mechanisms of thin film deposition with energetic ion beams; additional projects include (i) the development of a new beamline and ultra high vacuum system for in-situ STM studies of thin films deposited with hyperthermal energy ions, and (ii) scattering studies of the mechanisms of hyperthermal energy ion trapping at surfaces.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 14, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA320710
Entities
People
- Barbara H. Cooper
Organizations
- Cornell Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics