Ion beam induced mass transport and correlated structure formation on semiconductor surfaces

A quantitative surface analysis of 200 MeV Ag-107(+14) irradiated <111> Si and <111> Inr surfaces has been performed using atomic force microscopy (AF M) technique. The AFM topographs showed the directional effects of ion beam on the morphology of the resulting non-equilibrium surfaces that depend on the ion fluence. The surface developed correlated structures after a criti cal fluence. The power spectral density analysis of ion irradiated surface showed that the diffusion on the irradiated surface is the dominant mechani sm in mass transport at the surface. The fluence dependence of the mass tra nsport is attributed to the cumulative effect of ion irradiation arising du e to the overlapping of ion induced damaged zones and electronic excitation induced shear motion of the atoms towards the surface.