Publication: Order enhancement and coarsening of self-organized silicon nanodot patterns induced by ion-beam sputtering
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2006-12-04
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American Institute of Physics
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Abstract
The temporal evolution of the characteristic wavelength (λ) and ordering range (ξ) of self-organized nanodot patterns induced during Ar+ ion beam sputtering on Si(001) and Si(111) surfaces is studied by atomic force microscopy and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction. The patterns exhibit initial coarsening of λ (up to 54–60 nm) and increase in ξ (up to 400–500 nm) after which both features stabilize. The pattern formation is only weakly controlled by the crystallographic surface orientation, Si(111) surfaces showing a faster evolution into a proper stationary state. This trend is attributed to a higher sputtering rate at this orientation, as confirmed by theoretical simulations.
Description
3 pages, 3 figures.-- PACS nrs.: 81.05.Cy, 81.07.-b, 68.47.Fg, 81.16.Rf, 79.20.Rf, 68.35.Bs.
Keywords
Self-assembly, Ion beam assisted deposition, Sputter deposition, Nanopatterning, Silicon, Elemental semiconductors, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Atomic force microscopy, Crystal orientation, Semiconductor growth
Bibliographic citation
Applied Physics Letters 89, 233101 (2006)