Phase Diagram for Nanostructuring CaF2 Surfaces by Slow Highly Charged Ions

A. S. El-Said, R. A. Wilhelm, R. Heller, S. Facsko, C. Lemell, G. Wachter, J. Burgdörfer, R. Ritter, and F. Aumayr
Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 117602 – Published 14 September 2012

Abstract

The impact of individual slow highly charged ions (HCI) on alkaline earth halide and alkali halide surfaces creates nano-scale surface modifications. For different materials and impact energies a wide variety of topographic alterations have been observed, ranging from regularly shaped pits to nanohillocks. We present experimental evidence for the creation of thermodynamically stable defect agglomerations initially hidden after irradiation but becoming visible as pits upon subsequent etching. A well defined threshold separating regions with and without etch-pit formation is found as a function of potential and kinetic energies of the projectile. Combining this novel type of surface defects with the previously identified hillock formation, a phase diagram for HCI induced surface restructuring emerges. The simulation of the energy deposition by the HCI in the crystal provides insight into the early stages of the dynamics of the surface modification and its dependence on the kinetic and potential energies.

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  • Received 24 February 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.117602

© 2012 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

A. S. El-Said*

  • Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328 Dresden, Germany, EU; Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, 35516 Mansoura, Egypt

R. A. Wilhelm, R. Heller, and S. Facsko

  • Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328 Dresden, Germany, EU

C. Lemell, G. Wachter, and J. Burgdörfer

  • Institute for Theoretical Physics, Vienna University of Technology, Wiedner Hauptstr. 8-10, A-1040 Vienna, Austria, EU

R. Ritter and F. Aumayr

  • Institute of Applied Physics, TU Wien-Vienna University of Technology, 1040 Vienna, Austria, EU

  • *a.s.el-said@hzdr.de
  • s.facsko@hzdr.de
  • aumayr@iap.tuwien.ac.at

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Issue

Vol. 109, Iss. 11 — 14 September 2012

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