Generation and relaxation of nanometer-scale roughness on the germanium(001) surface
The surface morphology of Ge(001) during etching by low energy ions is characterized using scanning tunneling microscopy. The surfaces are bombarded by 240 eV xenon ions at various temperatures and exposure times. A well defined in-plane length scale is observed on the crystalline surfaces etched at $165270\sp\circ$C exhibit a regular pattern of pits. The isotropy of this pattern formation of pits argues against surface curvature dependent sputtering rate and suggests that asymmetric kinetics for the attachment of dimer vacancies at ascending and descending steps drive roughening during etching.
Physics, Condensed Matter, Engineering, Materials Science
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign