Ar+-ion bombardment of monocrystalline InP at 3 keV is shown to grow I
nP whiskers at 100 degrees C or so. The whiskers are usually topped wi
th a hemispherical In crystal, lengthening along the trajectories of i
ncoming ions. The orientation of the whiskers is InP [111], independen
t of the ion-incidence angle, and thus the InP lattice is constructed
under the bombardment by energetic ions. These facts indicate that ion
bombardment in a few keV regime is not always destructive but sometim
es activates the lattice construction process.