Publications Repository - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

Ion sputtering of Si surfaces at normal incidence has been studied with and without metal codeposition. Metal impurities are necessary for dot pattern formation. Normal incidence ion sputtering of Si without metal codeposition has a smoothening instead of a roughening effect. The smoothening effect is effected by the presence of metal impurities and differs from „classical“ relaxation mechanisms where the decay coefficient has a power law dependence on the wavenumber.