Ion-induced ripple structures on silicon, x-ray measurements and TEM

Ion-induced ripple structures on silicon, x-ray measurements and TEM The formation of periodic surface structures varying from several nanometers to a few micrometers caused by ion-beam sputter erosion processes on semiconductor surfaces has attracted significant interest for the fabrication of laterally structured materials on a nanoscale.
We started systematic investigations of the rippled surface produced by Xe irradiation applying AFM. The subsurface structure has been identified by both TEM and depth resolved X-ray scattering methods such as GID. Furthermore the crystal structure of semiconductor surfaces should also kept clearly in mind. There is a strong evidence that the formation of ripples via ion beam erosion depends on preferred crystallographic directions of the silicon lattice.