https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2005-00197-2
Experimental studies of complex crater formation under cluster implantation of solids
1
Department of Physics, Göteborg University, 41296
Göteborg, Sweden
2
Department of Physics and Measurement
Technology, Linköping University, 58183 Linköping, Sweden
Corresponding author: a popok@fy.chalmers.se
Received:
21
March
2005
Published online:
26
July
2005
The results of a systematic study of surface defect
formation after energetic Ar (n = 12, 22, 32, 54)
and Xe
(n = 4, 16) cluster ion implantation into silicon
and sapphire are presented. Implantation energies vary from 3 to
18 keV/ion. Two cases of comparative studies are carried out: the
same cluster species are implanted into two different substrates,
i.e. Ar
cluster ions into silicon and sapphire and two
different cluster species Ar
and Xe
are implanted into
the same kind of substrate (silicon). Atomic force, scanning
electron and transmission electron microscopies (AFM, SEM and TEM)
are used to study the implanted samples. The analysis reveals the
formation of two types of surface erosion defects: simple and
complex (with centrally positioned hillock) craters. It is found
that the ratio of simple to complex crater formation as well as
the hillock dimensions depend strongly on the cluster species,
size and impact energy as well as on the type of substrate
material. Qualitative models describing the two comparative cases
of cluster implantation, the case of different cluster species and
the case of different substrate materials, are proposed.
PACS: 61.46.+w – Nanoscale materials: clusters, nanoparticles, nanotubes, and nanocrystals / 61.80.Lj – Atom and molecule irradiation effects / 68.37.-d – Microscopy of surfaces, interfaces, and thin films
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2005