Step Edge Diffusion and Step Atom Detachment in Surface Evolution: Ion Erosion of Pt(111)

The temperature dependent morphological evolution of Pt(111) under 1 keV Xe normal
incidence ion bombardment has been investigated up to 600 monolayers removed.
Coarsening of the surface structures during erosion and a qualitative change in
roughness evolution between 650 and 700 K are found to be caused by different
atomic processes: the former by diffusion of atoms along steps, the latter by the
onset of step atom detachment.