NOVEL FIBER GROWTH ON AR+-SPUTTERED INP

Fiberlike protrusions with a novel structure were found to grow on mon ocrystalline InP sputtered with 1-3 keV Ar+ at 100 degrees C. The fibe rs, which lengthened toward the incident ion beam, were of amorphous I nP, except at the tip area receiving the highest ion-flux density. The tip area, including the growth front, was comprised of In and InP sin gle crystals, the In crystals forming topotaxially in the core of the very tip. The crystallization at the tip of these fibers was no doubt attributable to the impact of Ar+ ions, so it may be termed a case of ''ion-induced crystallization,'' which is an inverse process of the io n-induced amorphization of crystalline semiconductors.