Atomic scale surface damage by ion bombardment at grazing incidence

通过对金属表面掠入射离子散射粒子的分析和光谱学研究，获得了大量的信息，并对离子与表面相互作用的许多方面有了深入的了解。尽管如此，实际上对碰撞后在表面上留下的损害一无所知。鉴于掠入射离子束在表面分析（工艺和性能），图案形成，薄膜生长和表面平滑的操纵的实际和潜在的应用，这将是可取的，以获得在此特定的散射几何形状下的损伤机制的基本理解。因此，建议的研究项目的目标是进行联合的理论和实验工作，结合分子动力学模拟和低温扫描隧道显微镜，以实现掠入射离子对金属表面的损伤机制的详细了解。特别感兴趣的是由表面缺陷（步骤，集群，adatoms，吸附物），以及它的变化与抛射体的属性和散射的几何形状所造成的损害。

By grazing incidence ion scattering from metal surfaces a wealth of information and a deep understanding of many aspects of the ion-surface interaction has been obtained through the analysis and spectroscopy of the scattered particles. Despite of this, virtually nothing is known about the damage left behind on the surface as a consequence of the collision. In view of the actual and potential applications of grazing incidence ion beams in surface analysis (processes and properties), pattern formation, manipulation of thin film growth and surface smoothening it would be desirable to obtain an elementary understanding of the damage mechanisms under this specific scattering geometry. It is thus the goal of the proposed research project to undertake a joint theoretical and experimental effort combining molecular dynamics simulations and low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy to achieve a detailed understanding of the damage mechanism of grazing incidence ions on metal surfaces. Of specific interest is the damage caused by surface defects (steps, clusters, adatoms, adsorbates) as well as its variation with the projectile properties and the scattering geometry.