Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A Vacuum Surfaces and Films · 1984 · 194 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesMaterials SciencePhysicsSurface ChemistrySurface ScienceThin FilmsAtomic IonizationIon ImplantationIonization ProcessesPlasma-surface InteractionsThin-film DepositionFilm FormationFilm Growth MechanismsImplantation Through Thin FilmsIon Beam Surface TreatmentIon Implantation EffectsIon-ion InteractionsIon-surface InteractionsLow-energy Ion Implantation
Ion–beam surface interactions depend strongly on kinetic energy and ionic charge. The study aims to investigate ionized cluster beam interactions during film formation, exploiting their unique cluster properties and low‑energy transport. The authors use ionized cluster beams, whose cluster properties and low‑energy transport (thermal to a few hundred eV) enable unique deposition capabilities. Fundamental ion‑bombardment effects—enhanced adatom migration, desorption, surface atom displacement, sputtering, shallow implantation, and atom trapping—were identified, and low‑energy ion beams were shown to be crucial for film formation when binding energies are considered.
The interactions of ion beams with surfaces are strongly dependent on the incident kinetic energy and the amount of ionic charge. Fundamental effects of ion bombardment by atomic and cluster ion beams have been elucidated in terms of kinetic energy of the ion beams. These fundamental effects include enhancement of adatom migration, desorption of physically absorbed atoms, displacement of the surface atoms, sputtering, shallow ion implantation, and trapping of impinging atoms. The importance of low energy ion beams for film formation is shown by taking into account the binding energies of the atoms in a solid. Emphasis has been placed on interactions of ionized cluster beams (ICB) during film formation because ICB offers unique capabilities for deposition due to the properties of the clusters and also to characteristic low energy ion beam transport over a range from thermal energy to a few hundred eV.