Self-organized ripple patterns by ion erosion - experiment, theory, and application

It is well known that oblique low and medium energy (typically 0.1 – 100 keV) ion erosion of solid surfaces can lead to the formation of periodic ripple patterns with wavelengths ranging from 10 to 1000 nm. These ripple structures have been found on a large variety of materials, including semiconductors, metals, and insulators. The formation and early evolution of the ripple patterns can be described by a linear continuum equation derived by Bradley and Harper. At longer times, however, nonlinear terms have to be taken into account, leading to nonlinear models based on the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation.
This talk will provide an overview of ion-induced pattern formation and summarize the theoretical basics. Recent experimental results on the evolution of nanoscale ripple patterns on silicon surfaces during high-fluence ion sputtering will be presented and compared to the predictions of different continuum models. In addition, promising applications of nanorippled substrates as templates in thin film growth will be discussed.