STM AND AFM INVESTIGATIONS OF SURFACE-STRUCTURES FOLLOWING SWIFT HEAVY-ION IRRADIATION

Samples of highly oriented pyrolitic graphite, muscovite mica and (100 ) oriented silicon were irradiated with 209 MeV Kr ions. The irradiati ons were performed in a perpendicular direction to the sample surface. The irradiation fluence used was 10(12) ions/cm(2). Scanning tunnelli ng microscope (STM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) observations wer e accomplished without any further sample preparation. Experimental ob servations are compared to computer simulations (TRIM code) and primar y knock-on atomic spectrum calculations (LET code). Surface features o bserved on different materials are characterised and compared to each other. Distinction can be made between surface features attributed to nuclear stopping effects and defects owing to electronic stopping mech anisms. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.