Fractal and non-fractal surfaces in ion sputtering

A. L. Barabasi*, R. Cuerno

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

Abstract (may include machine translation)

Recently a number of experimental studies focusing on the scaling properties of surfaces eroded by ion bombardment provided apparently contradictory results. A number of experiments report the observation of self-affine fractal surfaces, while others provide evidence about the development of a non-fractal periodic ripple structure. To explain these discrepancies, here we derive a stochastic nonlinear equation that describes the evolution and scaling properties of surfaces eroded by ion bombardment. The coefficients appearing in the equation can be calculated explicitly in terms of the physical parameters characterizing the sputtering process. We find that transitions may take place between various scaling behaviors when experimental parameters, such as the angle of incidence of the incoming ions or their average penetration depth, are varied.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)259-270
Number of pages12
JournalMaterials Research Society Symposium Proceedings
Volume407
DOIs
StatePublished - 1996
Externally publishedYes
EventProceedings of the 1995 MRS Fall Symposium - Boston, MA, USA
Duration: 27 Nov 199530 Nov 1995

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Fractal and non-fractal surfaces in ion sputtering'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this