Reverse epitaxy: patterns on crystalline Ge surfaces

Low energy ion irradiation induces the formation of periodic surface patterns. These structured surfaces exhibit periodicities in the range of a few tens to hundreds of nanometers and are promising templates for producing nanostructured thin films. Periodic ripple patterns with wave vector parallel to the ion beam direction are observed frequently for ion irradiation at incidence angles between 50° and 70° to the surface normal. At normal incidence dot or hole patterns with hexagonal symmetry are observed only under special irradiation conditions.
At room temperature semiconductor surfaces are amorphized by ion irradiation. However, at temperatures higher than the recrystallization temperature the surface remains crystalline and novel ion induced patterns appear with the symmetry of the crystal structure of the material. We present pattern formation on Ge surfaces during 1 keV Ar+ ion irradiation under normal incidence at temperature above the recrystallization temperature of Ge. Similar to the case of ion irradiated crystalline metal surfaces on the crystalline Ge surface a new instability appears at higher temperature due to the Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier. In this case, regular checkerboard or hole patterns with the symmetry of the patterns reflecting the crystal structure of the irradiated surface are observed.