Surfactant Sputtering - Investigation of fundamental processes

对申请人和张k .博士新近开发并已申请专利的新型溅射腐蚀技术的基本工艺和应用潜力进行研究。这种溅射技术利用外来或自身原子（表面活性剂=表面活性剂）覆盖表面的稳定状态，其面积密度高达1016个原子/cm2，这是通过同时离子照射和原子沉积在衬底上实现的。表面活性剂的覆盖范围可以以可控的方式横向变化。表面活性剂导致衬底溅射产率在原子到宏观长度尺度上的显著降低。根据表面活性剂与衬底的组合，可能会出现均匀的表面覆盖、岛状或簇状的形成、附着在表面缺陷上或表面附近化合物或合金的形成。因此，表面平滑或形成各种新的表面图案，或由于表面活性剂覆盖的横向梯度而控制表面的成形是可能的。应研究各向异性离子束侵蚀引起的光滑、表面图案形成、超薄表面活性剂薄膜的生成和表面成形的动态过程。

A novel sputter erosion technique, which was newly developed by the applicant and Dr. K. Zhang and recently filed as patent application, shall be investigated regarding the fundamental processes and the application potential. This sputter technique utilizes a steady state coverage of a surface with foreign- or self atoms (surfactants = surface active agents) with an area density up to 1016 atoms/cm2, which is achieved by simultaneous ion irradiation and deposition of atoms onto a substrate. The coverage with surfactants can be laterally varied in a controlled manner. The surfactants cause a dramatic reduction of the substrate sputtering yield on atomic up to macroscopic length scales. Depending on the surfactant-substrate combination, a homogeneous surface coverage, island or cluster formation, attachment to surface defects, or the formation of surface-near compounds or alloys may arise. As a consequence, either smoothing of the surface or the formation of a variety of novel surface patterns, or controlled shaping of surfaces due lateral gradients of the surfactant coverage is possible. The dynamic processes responsible for smoothing, surface pattern formation, generation of ultrathin surfactant films and shaping of surfaces due to anisotropic ion beam erosion shall be investigated.