Self-Assembled Nanoscale Patterns Produced by Ion Bombardment of Solid Surfaces

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TECHNICAL SUMMARYThe Division of Mathematical Sciences and the Division of Materials Research contribute funds to this award. It supports theoretical research and educational activities focused on advancing understanding of how self-assembled nanoscale patterns are produced by bombarding a solid surface with a broad ion beam. The spontaneous emergence of these patterns is not just fascinating in its own right; ion bombardment has the potential to become a cost-effective method to rapidly fabricate large-area nanostructures at length scales beyond the limits of conventional optical lithography. This project will yield insight into how these patterns form, and so will aid in the optimization of this tool.In the sponsored research, the PIs will pioneer the application of the mathematical theory of pattern formation to the ion bombardment of solids. They will determine whether well-ordered hexagonal arrays of nanodots can be formed by bombarding an elemental solid while concurrently depositing impurities, and develop a theory that explains why nearly regular hexagonal arrays of nanorods form during ion-assisted deposition of some binary materials. Methods that may reduce or prevent the formation of defects in the patterns produced by ion bombardment will be developed and evaluated.Outreach to K-12 students and the education of undergraduate and graduate students are important aspects of the project. High school students in AP Physics will study a macroscopic analog of pattern formation induced by ion bombardment, patterns formed by sandblasting. Demonstrations of pattern formation will be developed that will be used by Little Shop of Physics, a nationally-recognized outreach program that brings hands-on physics demonstrations to K-12 students and to the general public. The graduate student supported by the award will receive interdisciplinary training in the physics of ion bombardment and the mathematics of pattern formation. NONTECHNICAL SUMMARYThe Division of Mathematical Sciences and the Division of Materials Research contribute funds to this award. It supports theoretical research and educational activities focused on advancing our understanding of the nanoscale patterns that emerge when a solid surface is bombarded with a broad ion beam. These nanoscale patterns have features on small length scales some million times smaller than the head of a pin. A plethora of patterns can be produced, including nanoscale mounds arranged in hexagonal arrays of remarkable and unforeseen regularity. The spontaneous emergence of these patterns is not just fascinating in its own right: ion bombardment has the potential to become a cost-effective method to rapidly fabricate large-area nanostructures. This project will yield insight into how these patterns form, and so will aid in the optimization of this tool. The sponsored research will therefore contribute to the burgeoning field of nanotechnology, which promises to transform fields as diverse as medicine, energy, and electronics.Outreach to K-12 student and the education of undergraduate and graduate students are important aspects of the project. High school physics students will study an analog of pattern formation induced by ion bombardment, patterns formed by sandblasting. Demonstrations of pattern formation will be developed that will be used by Little Shop of Physics, a nationally-recognized outreach program that brings hands-on physics demonstrations to K-12 students and to the general public. The graduate student to be supported by the award will receive interdisciplinary training in the physics of ion bombardment and the mathematics of pattern formation.