Atomistic Origins of Ion Bombardment Nanoscale Surface Instability

离子轰击纳米尺度表面不稳定性的原子起源。约翰逊;伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校摘要该项目的目的是通过原子尺度的计算观测，揭示半导体表面在离子轰击过程中纳米尺度结构的形成。多年来，这种现象已经被实验观察到，但驱动这种不稳定性的原子机制从未被很好地理解。这项工作在纳米制造和微纳电子表面工程中具有广泛的应用。利用分子动力学模拟，将研究许多不同变量对纳米波纹和纳米点自发形成的影响。将考虑诸如入射离子能量、入射离子角度、初始表面特征和应力等因素。通过建立一个大型的分子动力学结果数据库，将有可能告知经验连续模型和离子轰击纳米级表面不稳定性的广泛实验观察。该计划将利用与研究离子轰击的实验小组的几个密切合作，以最大限度地提高结果的影响。除了在纳米技术和电子学的广泛技术影响，该计划有一个强大的教育使命。该计划将支持两名研究生，PI将参与开发纳米力学本科课程。此外，PI和co-PI将通过与校园内的NSF现场项目合作，向伊利诺伊大学的本科生介绍这一研究领域。这些活动将有助于吸引最好的本科生和研究生进入纳米科学和工程，特别是纳米制造和表面工程的微型和纳米电子学。

Atomistic Origins of Ion Bombardment Nanoscale Surface InstabilityNSF Proposal 0510624 to the Division of Civil and Mechanical SystemsPI: Harley T. Johnson; University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignAbstractThe objective of the program is to reveal, by means of computational observations at the atomic scale, how nanometer scale structures form during ion-bombardment processing of semiconductor surfaces. For many years this phenomenon has been observed experimentally, but the atomistic mechanisms driving this instability have never been well understood. This work has broad applications in nanomanufacturing and surface engineering for micro- and nanoelectronics.Using molecular dynamics simulations, the effects of many different variables on the spontaneous formation of nano-ripples and nano-dots will be investigated. Factors such as incident ion energy, incident ion angle, initial surface features, and stress, will be considered. By building a large database of molecular dynamics results, it will be possible to inform both the empirical continuum models and the extensive experimental observations of the ion bombardment nanoscale surface instability. The program will make use of several close collaborations with experimental groups studying ion bombardment in order to maximize the impact of the results.Beyond the broad technical impact in nanotechnology and electronics, the program has a strong educational mission. The program will support two graduate students, and the PI will participate in developing an undergraduate course in nanomechanics. Also, the PI and co-PI will introduce this research area to undergraduates at the University of Illinois through partnership with an NSF site program on campus. These activities will help to attract the best undergraduate and graduate students into nanoscale science and engineering and specifically to nanomanufacturing and surface engineering for micro- and nanoelectronics.