Nanoscale periodic and faceted structures formation on Si(1 0 0) by oblique angle oxygen ion sputtering

The dynamics of ripple topography on silicon surfaces generated by oxygen ion bombardment with increasing fluences have been investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). At the early stages of sputtering, periodic ripples with the wave vector parallel to ion beam direction are developed. At the late stages of sputtering, the ripple structure tends to break down and the surface becomes faceted. The growth rate of the ripples and the scaling exponents of the faceted surface have been determined. The results are discussed with reference to the Bradley–Harper theory and its nonlinear extension. Finally, the ripple wavelength is found to be a linear function of the bombarding energy.