Roughness Evolution of Ion Sputtered Rotating InP Surfaces: Pattern Formation and Scaling Laws

Abstract

The topography evolution of simultaneously rotated and $\mathrm{Ar}{}^{+}$ ion sputtered InP surfaces was studied using scanning force microscopy. For certain sputter conditions, the formation of a highly regular hexagonal pattern of close-packed mounds was observed with a characteristic spatial wavelength which increases with sputter time $t$ according to $\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\sim}{t}^{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ with $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\simeq}0.26$. Based on the analysis of the dynamic scaling behavior of the surface roughness, the evolution of the surface topography will be discussed within the limits of existing models for surface erosion by ion sputtering.