Xe ion beam induced ripple structures on differently oriented single-crystalline Si surfaces

We report on Xe+ induced ripple formation at medium-energy on single crystalline silicon surfaces of different orientation using substrates with an intentional miscut from the [001] direction and a [111] oriented wafer. The ion beam incidence angle in respect to the surface normal was kept fixed at 65° and the ion beam projection was parallel or perpendicular to the [110] direction. By a combination of atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy we found that the features of surface and the subsurface rippled structures such as ripple wavelength and amplitude and the degree of order do not depend on the surface orientation as assumed in recent models of pattern formation for semiconductor surfaces.